SPAC, Assam becomes a toothless tiger; Dispur looks the other way

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: At a time when the number of cases of alleged misuse of power, forgery of records, non-registration of FIR, blackmailing, delay in investigation, harassment, and atrocities against a section of the Assam Police officials and personnel is fast rising, Dispur’s apathy and lack of political will to strengthen the State Police Accountability Commission (SPAC), Assam has virtually made the Commission a toothless tiger leaving the people in distress.

The SPAC was constituted to inquire into allegations of “serious misconduct” and “misconduct” against police personnel either in suo-moto or any complaint from a victim, National or State Human Rights Commission, the police or any other source.

Serious misconduct includes cases of death in police custody, grievous hurt as defined in Section 320 of IPC, 1860, non-registration/delay in registration of FIRs, molestation, rape, attempt to rape, arrest without due process of law, forceful deprivation of a person of his rightful ownership or possession of property and blackmailing.

Misconduct implies “any willful or neglect by a police officer of any law, rule, regulation applicable to the police that adversely affect the rights of any member of the public”.

Even though the SPAC has been making several important recommendations to the State Government through its annual reports to enhance the police accountability and to achieve the objective of setting up the Commission, majority of such recommendations are gathering dust in Dispur.

In the latest annual report, the SPAC has made several recommendations including installation of complaint box in each sub-division and district headquarter in Assam for the purpose of lodging complaints by citizens. The complaint will be sent to the Commission in a sealed paper. Each police station will have one PRO, so that the general public can approach this officer if there is any complaint against the police personnel of that police station.

The SPAC has also recommended installation of CCTV cameras in each police station/outpost, which would help in reduction of allegation of harassment in police stations.

The Commission further recommended that directions and guidelines of the Supreme Court in case of arrest of accused must be displayed in each and police station and outpost prominently to prevent irregularities committed in arresting a person.

It has also recommended that the Assam DGP must be given the responsibility to see that proper/proportionate punishment is awarded to the delinquent police personnel found guilty at the end of the departmental proceeding so as to bring about a wholesome transformation in the police department.

The Home department and the DGP may be entrusted with the responsibility of submission of quarterly reports regularly on the status of the departmental proceedings, stated the Commission in its latest recommendation.

But the million dollar question is to whether the present regime in Dispur which claims zero percent tolerance against corruption and make Assam Police a people-friendly force, will act on the Commission’s recommendations or simply ignore them.

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