RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan. 16: The ugly face of the Jharkhand police has surfaced once again.
On Saturday a businessman Sunil Gupta died in police custody in Hazaribagh. It is being alleged that brutality of the police officials of Sadar police station in Hazaribagh with which Gupta was arrested for alleged illegal business of essential commodities was the reason behind the death.
Two days back, former chief minister Babulal Marandi had sought suspension of Tupudana police station officer-in-charge Rupa Singh for her atrocious behavior with a supervisor detained after an incident of theft.
Earlier on November 2 last year, an 18-year-old man, who was detained for questioning, was found hanging inside the lock up at Bal Mitra police station in Saraikela. The man was detained after it was alleged that he eloped with a minor girl.
A human rights activist supported the observation saying there are several cases which go unreported either due to poor ability of victims and their family members to highlight the atrocity or due to ability of police officials to suppress such incidents.
A Jharia resident Ganesh Sao said a section of police officials are involved in land dealing and they dance to the tunes of land brokers and land mafia. Their action in a case of any land dispute depends on the reasons best known to them.
“Jharia is on the verge of collapse but police officials in the area are still indulging in the ugly business of land grabbing. Sometimes police officials refuse to accept FIR or application in case of any land dispute suggesting an aggrieved party to approach the circle office to settle their dispute and sometimes they support encroachers in constructing boundary walls on disputed land due to reasons best known to them. This has happened on my land and today I appeared before the court of the circle officer in the matter,” Sao said.
“In fact, most of the Jharkhand police officers are involved in the illegal land deal across the State,” pointed out a Sub inspector requesting anonymity.
A senior police official admitted the problem saying police are also part of society and their behavior is a reflection of the society in which they live.
“Sometimes it becomes difficult to prove allegations against policemen beyond reasonable doubt, sometimes reasonable doubt on their behavior gives scope of allegation. Now the criminals are so organized and smart that they play the victim. However, in case of complaints, actions are taken against them. They are put under suspension,” the official said.
