Police system has been epitomized as a rotten organization where the pleas of hapless citizens remain unheeded. Police system has been typified as a ravening mafia-like organization who beat and kill whenever they feel like. Police system organizes fake encounters, police system shields culprits, and Police system wags tails in front of corrupt politicians.
But is it so?
Is the Police system so bad?
Here’s a small incident from my own life, after reading this you would be in a better position to judge.
Feb 7 2013
Night 9:30PM
My Cell phone rings, an unknown number flashes!
Me: Hello
He: हल्लो मिश्रा जी हैं के? (Is that Mr. Mishra?)
Me: हाँ आप कौन? (Yes! Who am I talking to?)
He: तेरा शुभचिंतक (Your well-wisher)
Me: शुभचिंतक? बोलिए क्या काम है? (Well-wisher? Tell me what do you want?)
He: बात करनी थी रे तेरे से (Need to talk to you)
Me: हाँ तो बताइए (Please tell me)
He: ई काली गड्डी तेरी है? (Is this black car yours?)
Me: हाँ आप कौन बोल रहे हैं? (Yeah but who am I talking to?)
He: कहाँ खड्डी कर के गए थे? (Where did you park it?)
Me: ऑफिस के पीछे वाली पार्किंग में पर आप हैं कौन भाई? (In the parking space behind my office, who are you anyway?)
He (Angrily): ऐसा है की अभी काण्ड हो गया है, फटाफट भाग के आ (Something bad has happened, come running)
I am confused, stunned and scared as I set off. A colleague who heard the entire incident decided to accompany me.
In the parking area, my car stands silently. Not a single soul is around and it seems like a perfectly normal setting. Was I being hoodwinked? I push Key Lock Button, the lights flash. Perfect again. And suddenly the parking lights are illuminated and they stay on. Is there someone inside the car? I am uneasy now.
I peep inside my car, I see two gentlemen inside it. No Not Gentlemen, almost beasts. Let’s call them Beast1 and Beast2.
Me: आप लोग अन्दर क्या कर रहे हैं, ये मेरी गाडी है (What are you guys doing inside? This is my car)
Beast 1: तेरी कैसी हुई गड्डी जब हम बैठे हैं? ये तो अपनी हुई ना? (How can this car be yours, we are sitting inside the car so it’s ours)
Me (super nervous): क्या मज़ाक है? (Is this some kind of a joke?)
Beast2: तू लुगाई लागी मारी जो मैं तेरे संग मज़ाक करू? (Are you my wife that I’ll Joke with you)
Colleague: अरे भैय्या ये इसी की गाडी है? (Dear Sir, it’s his car)
Beast1: तू वकील है इसका (Are you his lawyer?)
The Argument continues for 10 minutes. There is darkness, winter chill and some stray dogs, nothing else. I think of finishing it off.
Me (Angrily): आप लोग बाहर आइये, बहुत मज़ाक हो गया (Please come out, enough is enough)
Beast 1 to Beast 2: चल भैय्ये अब तो बाहर आणा ही पड़ेगा (Alright brother, we’ll have to come out now).
I prepare myself for a thrashing of a lifetime. My Colleague and I are no match to those beasts.
Beast 1 and Beast 2 are now out. Are they wearing Khaki? Are they cops? Yes they are. Let’s call them Cop 1 and Cop 2 now.
Me (Out of respect): अरे सर आपलोग पुलिसवाले हो? (Hey sir, are you policemen?)
Cop1: हंजी कोई शक़? (Yes sir, any doubts?)
Cop2: गड्डी खुल्ली छोड़ गए थे? (Did you leave your car unlocked?)
Me: नहीं तो, और अगर छोड़ा भी होता तो दो मिनट में अपने आप ऑटोलॉक हो जाता है (Nope and even if I had, the car would have been auto-locked in 2 minutes)
Cop1: और खिड़की? (And the window?)
Me: Oops!
Cop2: भाई खिड़की कौन बंद करेगा? कोइ गाडी ले जाता तो? नहीं भी ले जाता पर अन्दर अफीम, गांजा रख देता. कोई लाश ही डाल देता. हम तो तुझे ही पकड़ते ना मिश्रा जी? (Who would lock the windows brother? What if someone puts marijuana and opium in your car or dumps a dead body inside it? You would be caught in that case. No?)
Me: Thank you sir
Cop1: स्टीरियो विरिओ भी था के? (Was there any stereo as well?)
Me: हाँ (Yes)
Cop2: वो चोरी हो गया (Well that’s stolen)
Me: क्या? (What?)
Cop1: अच्छा ये ले पकड़ (Hold this). He hands the stereo to me along with 2 pen drives.
Me: Thank you sir, आपके जैसे लोग हैं तो सिस्टम में विश्वास है. वरना निर्भया आन्दोलन में डंडे खाने के बाद मैं भी पुलिस प्रशासन हाय हाय कर रहा था. (Thanks sir, it’s because of people like you, that we still have faith in the system. After getting thrashed at India Gate even I was shouting against Police and Administration)
Cop1: आप लोगों को लगता है की हमारे पास दिल नहीं है, हम बस हफ्ता वसूलते हैं, जबरदस्ती लोगों को मारते पीटते हैं? अरे भाई अठारह अठारह घंटे बाइक दौडाते हैं. नींद आये तब भी दौडाते हैं. फिर भी साला गाली हीं खाते हैं. (You people think that cops are heartless. We just keep grabbing bribes. We keep beating people for no reasons whatsoever. We bike around for eighteen hours straight, even when we are sleepy and drowsy)
Cop2: कल एक छोकरी मिली थी, नशे में टुन्न. सड़क पे घूम रही थी आधी रात को. एक बंदा बिठाने की कोशिश कर रहा था अपनी गड्डी में. मैं था सादी वर्दी में, दिया साले ने घुमा के एक. सारी रोमियोगिरी गयी तेल लेने. लड़की को थाणे लेके आये, माँ को फोन मिलाया तो कहती है की लड़की हमारे लिए मर गयी. बाप ने कहा, हमारा नाम बर्बाद कर दिया छोरी ने. छोरी कहती है की उसके माँ बाप जानवर है. अरे भाई पारिवारिक मामले परिवार में सुलझाओ ना. अब उस रात रेप हो जाता या मर्डर हो जाता, या चोरी ही हो जाती तो दोषी कौन? हम? और कौन?. (I found a girl roaming around on the roads in midnight hours, dead drunk. A ruffian was trying to pull her in his car. I was patrolling in plain clothes. I slapped that rascal, all his lechery went for a toss. I took the girl to the police station and called her mother. The mother says, that the girl is as good as dead for her. Father says that she has spoilt the name of his family. The girl says that her parents are beasts. Now tell me what if she got raped last night, or killed or robbed last night? We would have been blamed.
Me: सत्य वचन सर, पूरी तरह तो नहीं लेकिन बहुत हद तक आपने मेरी सोंच बदल दी है. (True that sir. You have changed my perception to a certain extent)
Cop1: चलो अभी हम लोग निकलेंगे, और पेपर पूरे थे तुम्हारे अच्छा लगा देख के. (Alright, we’ll take your leave now. You had all the papers, good to see that)
Me: अच्छा चेक भी कर लिया हाहाहा, (Oh you guys checked it, Hahahaha)
Cop1: अब नंबर तो आसमान से टपकेगा नहीं, पेपर से ही निकलेगा. हमारी बातों का बुरा मत मानना, हम तो बस ये चाहते हैं की लोग सतर्क रहे. (Now your number wouldn’t fall from the heavens. Do not mind our silly little prank, we just want people to be cautious and alert.)
Cop 1 and 2 are Head Constables Sushil Dhama and Raj Kumar respectively from Janakpuri Police Station.
In my humble opinion – Police system (like any other system) is a victim of generalizations. There are bad people for sure but most of them (like most of us) are good people. What do you think?