Bidari cracks the whip!

Bidari cracks the whip!

Bangalore Mirror’s story on Nov 14 on the callous response of policemen to an undercover reporter’s attempt to file a complaint has galvanised the city police commissioner. He has shot off a stern memo to all police stations in the city warning them not to refuse complaints citing jurisdiction

M K Ashoka
Posted On Sunday, November 16, 2008

Bangalore Mirror’s story (‘Police stations doze off on a woman’s complaint’) on November 14 has pushed Bangalore city police commissioner Shankar Bidari into action. He has sent a memo (Number CP/BC(GL)7/08) to all police stations in the city warning them not to refuse complaints citing that the offence did not happen in their jurisdiction.

Bidari had also announced in a press conference on Friday that, “The police cannot refuse a complainant, whether or not it (the offence) comes under their jurisdiction.”

The memo is addressed to all police inspectors in-charge of police stations including traffic police stations, all assistant commissioners of police in-charge of sub-divisions including traffic sub-divisions, City Crime Branch and other police units in Bangalore.

He has also instructed all deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) of zones, including traffic, crime, intelligence and VVIP security in Bangalore city to consider the matter seriously and keep an eye on their subordinates.

In his memo, Bidari has referred to the Karnataka Police Manual, Volume 2, regarding the registration of complaints. The manual says, when an offence committed within the railway police jurisdiction is reported to a local district police station or vice-versa, the police receiving the information first should take up the investigation and continue it till the arrival of the police having jurisdiction.

“Failure to register a report regarding a cognizable crime, which has taken place within the limits of Karnataka state, and to issue an FIR is a serious lapse and will have to be dealt with as such. The station house officers will note that for such lapses, the concerned officer committing the lapse should be placed under suspension and a Departmental Enquiry under Rule 6 will be ordered for failure on his part to accept the report and register the case,” Bidari quoted.

The commissioner goes on to say that he hopes police officers will abide by the orders he has quoted from the Police Manual and do not give scope for any disciplinary action.

He has directed DCPs to monitor the performance of station house officers and police station staff and take stern action in case of any lapses.