Punjab cop held with heroin violated DGP’s orders with reels in uniform, as many others still do

Even before her arrest, Kaur violated the department’s instructions that were issued twice following a petition filed in the Punjab and Haryana High court against the online “misuse” of the police uniform.

Kaur, however, was not alone when it came to using the police uniform to make reels. From constables to IPS and Punjab Police Service (PPS) officers, social media influencers in uniform—complete with the Punjab Police emblem on their shoulders—have been posting content on social media platforms, including ones in which they are seen singing or “modelling”.

In response to a petition in the high court, the Punjab additional secretary (home) had written to the office of the director-general of police, which then issued a letter to all police heads. “Police officials are to be further instructed to desist from bringing disrepute and insult to the uniform by ‘modelling in uniform’ for publicity and by publishing objectionable-pictures on their social media accounts and other such forms. In view of the above, it is requested to inform and direct the offices under your command to comply with the instructions meticulously. If any official is found violating the instructions, action will be initiated as per relevant rules,” the May 22, 2022, letter read.

The Indian Express had reported how constables and senior officers in uniform were uploading reels with Punjabi songs playing in the background, in contravention of the DGP’s instruction.

Reacting to the November 22, 2023, news report, the force asked all senior superintendents of police and police commissioners in the state to ensure that all short videos posted by influencers in uniforms with police emblems are removed within the next 24 hours.

While some influencers disappeared after these repeated instructions, others reduced the use of the police uniform in their posts. Almost all of them have still been using photos in the uniform as their profile pictures. A search with keywords ‘Punjab Police’ or ‘Police Life’ throws up thousands of such videos and hundreds of accounts of police officers still violating the DGP’s instructions.

The petitioner in the high court case, Nikhil Saraf, says that such behaviour amounts to contempt of court. “Punjab Police had issued instructions after I filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High court. But authorities were never serious about implementing these instructions. Besides, many officers have been using social media to flash the privileges that come with the uniform,” he said.

Some social media pages with reels in police uniforms are anonymous, even though the short videos feature real police officers.

The police’s official Instagram account has around 92.8K followers. An unauthorised account named POLICIA LIFE boasts 732 posts and a substantial following of 90.4K followers. The account’s bio mentions daily uploads of motivational reels and encourages direct messages for promotions.

Another social media account, Khakhi Alphas 2k21, has 3,683 posts and 31.8K followers. It follows 1,456 users, indicating active engagement.

Titled mehkme.aale, another account has 448 posts and 22.2K followers; it follows 1,007 accounts.

PUNJAB POLICE LOVERS has 923 posts and 36.6K followers, while following 275 accounts.

Then there are hundreds of individual accounts of real police officers, all of which project the “glamorous” police life.

“It is informed that various pages/accounts/handles/reels on social media platforms have been created/uploaded by various police officials in police uniform by unauthorised use of the official emblem of Punjab Police. No one should create such pages/accounts/handles and upload photos of self or others or senior officers in uniform, without prior approval from appropriate authority,” the DGP’s 2023 letter said, adding that “in view of above, you are requested to identify the users and police personnel of these pages/accounts/handles/reels and direct them to delete these pages/accounts/handles/reels within 24 hours of notifying them.”

Saraf’s petition pointed out that police officials have been given the uniform to carry out “a particular set of duties, which require the highest level of probity, discipline, fairness, and accountability. However, police officials’ reels in uniform on social media seek self-glorification and are filled with a very perverse sense of entitlement and authority, making oneself look superior to ordinary citizens.”

The petition also refers to the defence ministry’s ban on social media use by Army personnel and mentioned that the central government had banned 89 Chinese apps citing security reasons. The Union home ministry has also issued similar guidelines, prohibiting paramilitary officials from publishing pictures in uniform on social media platforms.

“Then Additional Inspector-General Gaurav Toora had submitted an affidavit on behalf of the Punjab DGP in the high court saying that they had issued an advisory to the police force against the use of the police emblem on social media. However, it seems no one is following the advisory of the DGP. What is the internal intelligence of police doing? Even a layman can take an idea from the profile of Amandeep Kaur that she was flashing a lifestyle a constable cannot afford,” he said.