AMRITSAR: Large scale absenteeism by constables in the border districts of Punjab is worrying senior officers Policemen have been accused of looting and intimidating villagers in the garb of militants while absent from work.
Many constables in Amritsar Gurdaspur and Ferozepore districts tent to stay away from work for days together without assigning any convincing reason for it. Senior officers admit that this phenomenon is rampant particularly in the Majha belt where constables have other means to fend for themselves.
In the last three months more than 150 constables have been dismissed from service on charges of absenteeism and departmental inquiry has been ordered against as many as 300 others.
“It is not that all those who are absent get involved in criminal acts. Policemen in this area also take their responsibilities lightly said a senior police officer. He did not rule out the possibility of such policemen taking to crime for pecuniary gains.
Some constables have been charged with detaining people from rural areas on the pretext of their alleged links with militants and releasing them only after getting a handsome bribe.
In the Mehta police station area policemen intruded into the house of a wader recently posing as militants and asked for cash and jewelry. But they beat a hasty retreat when the trader tried to overpower them.
In Ludhiana district a head constable Sukhvinder Singh was killed and Davinder Singh another constable overpowered by the villagers of Mansur village. They allegedly tried to abduct the sarpanch Om Prakash who challenged them. Davinder Singh allegedly said that the SHO of Raikot police station had asked them to abduct the sarpanch.
In Lopo village near Doraha town a havaldar Harbans Singh and a constable Paramjit Singh were caught by the villagers when they allegedly attempted to loot a former sarpanch Jagdip Singh.
Recently “strict action” was taken against four constables for molesting women in Gurdaspur district.
Nevertheless senior police officers are trying to allay apprehensions about the constabulary through mass contact programs. The officers feel that such meetings would have a salutary effect among the people who can give vent to their grievances openly. Such meetings can also give an indirect message to the constables that they cannot go scot free.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 13, 1992
