The police personnel at Pimpri Police Station are in for trouble after Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash, in a surprise check on Wednesday night, found as many as nine persons, arrested on different charges, crammed in one lock up. The police commissioner has taken serious note of the violation of the social distancing norms and has sought explanation from them. "We have sought an explanation from the Pimpri police for putting as many as nine persons in one lock up. This is a clear violation of the social distancing norms and the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. Instead of setting an example before the society, the police were themselves found violating the laid-down norms," the police chief told indianexpress.com on Friday. "Based on their explanation, we will decide what disciplinary action should be taken against the police personnel at Pimpri police station," said Prakash. Not just for violating Covid-19 protocol, but the police personnel at Pimpri police station also face action for behaving insensitively with a "couple" who complained against the exorbitant rate sought to being charged by ambulance service for taking a patient to the hospital. And the "couple" in this matter happened to be none other than the Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash and Assistant Police Commissioner Prerna Katte. Both of them, disguised as a Muslim couple, had landed up at the Pimpri police station past Wednesday midnight. The police chief identified himself as Jamal Kamal Khan. He wore a kurta and jeans, put on a beard, a skull cap and a wig. Both of them had also put on the mask. Katte had also disguised her identity. The "couple" complained to the Pimpri police that when they called up the emergency ambulance service for taking an ailing neighbour to the hospital, they were told the rate would be upwards of Rs 5000. The complaint had no effect on the police personnel present on duty. They asked the couple to go to the Sant Tukaram Nagar police chowky to lodge their complaint. The police chowky was three kilometres away. "Instead of noting down the complaint, the Pimpri police asked the couple to go to the police chowk in the dead of the night. This was not proper behaviour. They were not sensitive towards the complainants," said Prakash. ACP Katte said one of the constables then identified them. "The police chief gave them an earful to the cops on duty," she said. The police chief and the ACP, disguised as the Muslim couple, then visited two police stations – Hinjawadi and Wakad. At Hinjawadi police station, the "man" complained that when they were returning after offering namaz, some anti-social elements harassed his wife in the Bavdhan area. He said he was beaten up when he accosted them. The Hinjawadi police immediately rushed to the spot where the incident happened. The police caught a few youths bursting crackers. "I had also received a complaint from the area that some youths were bursting crackers in the night," he said. The prompt action by the Hinjawadi police drew praise from the police chief who then revealed his identity to them. At Wakad police station, when the "couple" complained that a biker had snatched the woman's chain, a PSI was immediately asked to go to the scene. The police on duty asked the couple to go home as it was not good to be out late night during the pandemic and offered to escort them home in a police vehicle. Taken aback by their good response, the police chief then revealed his identity to them. The police chief also had an experience of "good policing" at a nakabandi operation in Wakad when they were stopped, asked to pay fines for not wearing masks and their registration number noted down. The "couple" had lied to the cops on duty that they were heading to a hospital. Reacting to the police behaviour, the police chief said, "While we had a good experience at two police stations, the Pimpri police behaviour left much to be desired. I do such regular visits. But on Wednesday night, I wanted to disguise as a common man and see it for myself how they behave with them. Our police are on their toes though a few deserved to be pulled up. I am sure everyone will remain alert and sensitive towards the common people all the time."
