Vadodara police’s friendly face masks the reality

An accident victim is subjected to prolonged grilling by the police at the Waghodia crossing earlier this week, as his seriously injured colleague cries for attention. They are taken to hospital only after some social workers intervene.

The Vadodara police might be trying to put on a new face, but the mask is slipping all too often. Complaints of police high-handedness and indifference are not new, but coming as these do in the wake of a friendlier-police campaign, they only encourage scepticism and cynicism among the citizenry.

Take the case of the two senior business executives, who were thoroughly cross-questioned when they went to lodge an FIR at the Fatehgunj police station about the disappearance of several of their company’s hoardings in a single night.

The friendly neighbourhood policeman were evidently in hiding that evening, for the FIR was registered only after a two-hour-long argument; that too after the executives had threatened to take up the matter with senior police officials.

Taken in by the promises of a friendlier force, Baroda Rifle Club member Arun Agnihotri was forced to change his views after a harrowing brush with khaki officialdom. “I tried to join the city police’s Friends of Police Scheme, that targets a long-term curb on crime. But when I asked for an application form, I was questioned like a common criminal”, says Agnihotri.

Refusing to take things lying down, he shot off a letter to Police Commissioner, complaining about the Chhani policemen’s behaviour. The letter is yet to be acknowledged; an apology is nowhere in sight.

Sandip Diwan, another concerned citizen, has gone to the extent of circulating a communique among senior police officials, advising them to “make your cops friends of citizens first and then make us your friends”.

It would, however, be unfair to tar the entire police force with the same brush. A colleague who had to visit the Panigate police station to complain about the theft of his bicycle came away singing the personnels’ praises. But such behaviour, if complaints reaching the newspaper offices are any indication, are the exception and not the rule.

Though Sharma was not available for his comments despite repeated attempts, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Mohan Jha says he quite agrees that lower-level policemen needed to change their attitude drastically towards the public.

Strangely enough, however, Jha tried to justify the Gotri outpost incident, pointing out that Patanwadia was a history-sheeter. When it was argued that even a criminal had a right to lodge a complaint, the DCP said the outpost policemen had advised Patanwadia to go to the police station.