The once disciplined state police force appears to be turning out to be a most in-disciplined cadre with power-struggle amongst the seniors taking ugly turn on one hand and the ‘bait’ charges against other officers on the other coming to the fore for public debate.
Who has to be blamed for such a mess in the state police? Is it because of a weak-kneed Congress-led government?
Its irony of sorts that ever since the Congress bounced back to power in 2009, and especially soon after its most charismatic leader Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s untimely death in a chopper crash, lead to chaotic governance than a smooth one. The government is not only rocked with corruption charges and some of its ministers and ‘sarkari babus’ being put behind bars, the state administration too was paralyzed as there was no coordination even between the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and his cabinet colleagues.
This chaotic situation even seeped in to the most disciplined police force as the government bungled in choosing the right (read competent) person heading it, especially the present incumbent. Not that in the past, several others, including non-Congress, indeed overlooked the seniority and hand-picked their choice as state police chief. But, the strong leadership of those parties could withstand the criticism as well as weathered all the challenges and storms.
Whether it was H J Dora or P Ramulu appointed as state police chiefs during the TDP regime or Girish Kumar or Aravinda Rao and now Dinesh Reddy by the Congress later, all done overlooking or violating the guidelines of the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh case in the matter of appointing the state police chiefs.
This ‘dog-fight’ seems to have further percolated down the ranks of in the police force resulting in the present chaos in the raging war between the East Godavari SP Trivikrama Varma and his colleague and ASP Naveen Kumar of Rampachodavaram. The government instead of taking a decisive action against the “guilty” seem to have conveniently chosen to shoot down the ‘messenger.’
A doctor-turned-IPS officer Naveen Kumar joined the force , if one has to believe him, to fight the ‘graft.’ And he made no bones when he took on the Vizianagaram SP, in his earlier postings on the same issue (graft) and even now against the East Godavari SP on ‘ganja smuggling’, which is a serious matter of concern.
The suspended ASP Naveen Kumar (as disclosed by him in a TV channel discussion), alleged that the SP even made an attempt to ‘eliminate’ him as the latter figured in his investigations of ‘ganja’ smuggling racket in the district, by supporting his ‘driver’ who was directly involved. Apart from the SP, Naveen Kumar also accused other senior officers, including an officer of the rank of DGP, being involved in the ‘ganja racket’ running into crores of rupees .
Hence, Naveen Kumar demanded removal of the SP on the apprehension that he would to tamper evidences, if allowed to continue and wanted an impartial probe by either CBI or a HC judge.
Instead, the state government, which ordered a probe by a senior officer, came out stating that there was no prima facie evidence against SP and in turn chose to take so called disciplinary action against the ASP. It is no secret, that like the excise scam, even in the ‘ganja racket’ the politician-policemen-nexus cannot be ruled out and needs to be thoroughly investigated.
While Naveen Kumar’s startling revelation has put the state government on mat, another incident of same nature in which an IG of Guntur-range Harish Gupta allegedly made huge sums in transfers of lower rung officers (Circle Inspectors) which led to the DGP order an inquiry by a senior police official.
As if this was not enough, there are also allegations against none other than the Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddi herself. Former minister Dr Shankar Rao indeed leveled serious charges against the HM, which he alleged led to indiscipline in one of the disciplined forces. Thus far, the ongoing war-of-nerves within the ranks of state police, reflects on lack of strong leadership, if not administrator, in the government. (NSS)