M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Feb 16: Superintendent of Police (SP) Chandan Kumar Sinha in ‘Janta Ka Darbar’ in the police office in Daltonganj heard a plethora of complaints and problems of the public.
More than 40 men, women, and children sat in the official chamber of the Palamu SP and narrated their woes one by one in a two-hour long session. The number of rural people present in the session was significantly more than the number of urban people.
People and officers use the common term ‘Janta Darbar’ but here it had a ‘Ka’ sandwiched between the two terms.
The SP was candid enough to say that he and others in the government service are ‘public servants’ and hence it is not in tune with holding Janta Darbar rather remain in the Janta Ka Darbar.
During the darbar, many issues including cases of land disputes were heard by the SP which he said outnumbered the other matters.
According to the SP, a case was presented in which the woman of the opposite party was proved to be a purveyor of witchcraft to axe the grind in a land dispute matter. According to SP, the case appeared to be a hoax.
In another case, a mother brought her small son as a witness to her torture and horrors, and the minor child did relate how his mother was tortured and made to suffer.
During the session, the police put an end to the forcible occupation of valuable land in downtown Daltonganj.
Three policemen remained during the session to make calls to the police stations’ personnel.
Sinha confirmed that he receives many petitions from people. Before endorsing it, he contacts the appropriate police station to learn more about the situation from the officer.
He claims that there is now a ‘crowd’ of petitions as petitioners submit copies to the PMO, governor, CMO, DGP, DIG, SP, and others, and that these petitions eventually go back to the district in question.
He claims to have developed his own strategy for dealing with the onslaught of petitions. His mantra is to call the concerned police stations right away. The police officer who receives a call directly from the SP makes him attentive to the petition.
It gives petitioners the impression that their petitions are being started right in front of their eyes.
