Cops discover passion for cricket

SURAT, Nov 1: A cricket match is in progress. A dozen-odd people are intently watching the proceedings and offering expert comments, though ...

SURAT, Nov 1: A cricket match is in progress. A dozen-odd people are intently watching the proceedings and offering expert comments, though their job is not even remotely connected to the game.

The scene is not one of the thousands of living rooms or even roadside TV showrooms, but police stations of the city. Surprising, but true. With the Wills Mini World Cup matches being telecast on Doordarshan, the policemen have seized the opportunity and put to use television sets seized from burglars as part of the muddamal recovered. The same scene prevails at the district police control room in Chowk Bazaar, except for the fact that the police are allowed to keep a television at the headquarters.

This, according to a top city police official, was the very reason why a television set kept at the city police control room was removed recently. 8220;Those working in the control room, an important centre for police functioning, did nothing but watch TV. We were forced to remove it,8221; the official told Express Newsline.

As per the rules, the police 8212; either the commissionerate at the city level or the DSP office at the district level 8212; can put up a television set in the headquarters so that the policemen are informed of any local or national or international developments as well as for entertainment. This facility is like the others, which include a library, a community hall and other facilities.

8220;The primary objective behind putting the television was to make the policemen watch the news, but unfortunately hardly any police officer does so,8221; admitted Additional Police Commissioner C H Surendra Prasad.

On whether watching serials like India8217;s Most Wanted, CID, Mohandas BA L LB, among others, was made mandatory so that policemen could gain a wider perspective in detecting crimes, police officials here felt that while it was practically impossible to make them watch news, the question of making them watch other useful programmes was simply out of question.

Interestingly, almost all the television sets being used by the police are unclaimed sets, which have been recovered from burglars. 8220;As such they are lying unused and are bound to get damaged lying here in the muddamal room. It8217;s use or lose,8221; pointed out a police official of one of the city police stations. He, however, had no answer when asked if the same logic would be used in case of recovered vehicles, weapons and other muddamal.

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Just recently, city Police Commissioner Maniram had ordered that a colour TV set in the city control room be removed as it was not only making the entire staff lethargic, but was also attracting those working in adjacent offices. The set was removed in the interest of the police department, an official said.

However, there are no such plans for the police stations or the district control room, where the policemen are having a gala time watching television at the cost of duty. As one policeman put it, 8220;I have no complaints. In fact, I am happy because now at least they are watching something instead of sleeping while on duty8221;.