Number of criminals in police on rise

Thiruvananthpuram: As the disciplinary actions, meant to restrain police from crimes and give exemplary punishment, turned out to be farce, the number of criminals in Kerala police has increased. Official records reveal that the actions taken so far, to ensure that criminals are not in service, were not effective.

Whenever there are complaints and protests against the police, top officials shirk responsibility by rolling out instructions and constituting committees. Hence, many officials, including high level functionaries who are charged with criminal cases, still continue in the service.

The circular released by state DGP in 2011 states that exemplary punishment should be served to the officials if they are involved even in petty cases. It also stipulates there should be no room for allegations that a criminal among the force went scot free.

Such cases should be investigated by an officer of Circle Inspector rank under the supervision of an officer in DySP rank. Copy of FIRs against the police should be sent to police headquarters. A register should be kept at police headquarters to keep a record of police officials with criminal background. A committee comprising regional ADGPs, crime ADGP and intelligence ADGP was formed to review the register. The committee is responsible to supervise the investigations and formulate required instructions.

However, as of the latest records, 1,129 of the police force are criminals. Of these 195 are of SI and ASI ranks and eight are of CI rank and 10 of DySP and Assistant Commissioner ranks.

Recently, the State Human Rights Commission had instructed state police chief to file a report on actions taken, as per section 86 of Police Act, against police officials involved in criminal cases. Section 86(1) mandates that police officers who are involved in criminal cases should be suspended instantly and should be removed from the force if the alleged crime is proved.

Following the commission's instruction, police chief however, constituted another committee. The DGP himself agrees that 387 officials in the force have criminal antecedents. The new committee was formed in the pretext of a detailed study on allowing criminal police officials in service and criminalisation of police.