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Journalism of Courage
The police force plays to the gallery,provoking serious questions about law enforcement and liberty
A Delhi court minced no words while lecturing the city police for the flimsiness of the grounds on which they charged S. Sreesanth and others accused in the IPL spot-fixing case of involvement with Dawood Ibrahims organised crime syndicate. But it is doubtful that the reprimand will lead to a sober rethink by the police on the manner in which they pursue investigations. In fact,the courts observations may have come as no surprise to the Delhi Police they must have known,as did the most casual observer,that invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act was laughable. No matter. Because police forces around the country appear to have long given up the struggle to fight the temptation of playing to the gallery and the media and sensationalising cases beyond any alignment with the leads in hand.
In cases that acquire a high profile or involve folks with means,as the above-mentioned do,at least the police are forced to look foolish later and amend their approach somewhat. What of the countless investigations that take place below the radar of media and judicial oversight? What of the infringement of individual liberty and damage to reputations? The line between a sincere investigation that may not yield conviction and one that is irresponsibly sensationalised is,of course,difficult to determine. But it is a distinction that our police force must be made to internalise.
