Over 50% of Goa's police officials from the rank of police sub-inspector to superintendent of police have faced some form of disciplinary action at some point of time in their careers spanning anywhere from five to 20 years in the police department.
Information procured by social activist Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information (RTI) Act shows that of 233 officers from the rank of PSI to SP, almost 125 have faced disciplinary action at some time or the other during their service with the Goa police. A majority of these are presently PIs or DySPs. Moreover, of the 14 SPs posted in Goa, only six have not faced any disciplinary action during their stint with the state police department.
Sources said departmental or disciplinary inquiries are conducted against officers who have erred either in their personal or professional capacity. The reasons for inquiry vary from complaints of an officer not discharging his/her duty properly to goofing up investigations and even allegations of abetting crime.
"If found guilty during the departmental or disciplinary inquiry, disciplinary action is taken against the officer," said sources. The figure gets worse as one goes from the rank of SP to PSI; of the 24 DySPs in the Goa police 22 have faced disciplinary action at some point of time in their careers. The two DySPs who have never faced any disciplinary action rarely had any field posting.
Similarly, of the 53 PIs, most of them posted as police station in-charges, almost 43 have faced disciplinary action; while of the 142 PSIs only 90 have managed to maintain a clean record. Incidentally, even women officers have not fared well. Of the 20 women officers, 8 have faced disciplinary action.
DIG Ravindra Yadav, when contacted, said, "The figures don't necessarily reflect on the capability or performance of the police officers. It only goes to show that we in the Goa police really stick to a zero tolerance policy. Even good police officers have been punished at some point of their career for minor complaints, which just shows how stressful a policeman's job is and how professional we are in our approach as compared to other government departments." (TOI)
4 comments:
This must be the tip of a huge iceberg. There is no doubt there are a few sincere police officers in Goa but the majority of them are as corrupt as our politicians. We have three major types of cancers in the Goan Society called PPC - Police, Politicians and Chamchas. In PPC, the C is even more dangerous as they are the favourites of the police and politicians as well. The sincere police officers are never given good postings as they are considered to be non-profitable, they don't collect enough haftas for the seniors
GOA POLICE... Like your Slogan says, "Help Us To Help You". We are trying to help you in every way we can so that you guys can help us, but I don't see any future in that slogan the way things are happening in Goa.
There are many reasons why the police in Goa, or for that matter in the whole of India are corrupt. The main one is most of them are not appointed based on merit. Anyone who wants to be a sub-inspector has to pay a minimum amount to the Home Minister. In the 80s, the price was around 50,000. In the 90s it became 10 lakhs, in the 2000s it is anywhere from 20-25 lakhs. Just like the politicians who have to recover their money spent on elections, the police too want to recover the money which they have paid to the higher-ups for getting a job. So they start looting the poor people. Besides, recovering their 'investment', they also have to collect haftas for the higher-ups. This in turn breeds corruption and in the bargain the poor and honest citizens of Goa suffers. If a rich neighbour has an axe to grind against another neighbour, all he has to do is go to the police station and file an NC (non-cognigable) offence and pay a certain amount to the PI incharge of the police station. The poor guy will be brought to the police station, hammered and then released. This is called goondaism by the police. Some years ago, a cop, who is now an SP told me. "Boss to be a good policeman, you have to be a good goonda. The two are inseperable". By the way, this cop is still in the police force and is known as a tough cookie. I don't know how corrupt he is, but he is at least straightforward in his views. Some years ago, Pandu Madkaikar, the MLA from Cumbarjua and former transport minister, had appointed RTOs. The asking rate for the job then was 20 lakhs. And there was one chap who paid him 22 lakhs. Imagine the type of money this guys have to make to recover the amount they have paid to the minister. No wonder corruption is so rife among the police force in Goa. They are not police who ensure protection and safety of the Goans, they are there to polish and fleece the Goans. As such, some Goans go to the goondas to settle a dispute, then approach the police. After all, the police and goondas compete with each other for the same piece of the cake.
Sometimes I don't know whether to cry or to laugh....Bebdo is so right! Having lived overseas most of my life, I am just blow away by this unbelievable state of affairs in Goa. I have even worked for the government in a foreign country but I never saw any of this rubbish. Almost everyone was hired based on merit. As long as Goa is part of India this rubbish will continue. The only time people will realize how wrong this whole system is, is when we have a serious crises. 'Cause then we well be calling the ‘authorities’ for help, but they will be so inapt to help, as they were never qualified for the job. In a very serious scenario, people may even die, as these unqualified people will not know what to do. I think only then will the people in India will wake up.
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