CJI tells police to reclaim social legitimacy, trust by breaking nexus with political executive
Apr 01, 2022
New Delhi [India], April 1 : Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Friday said that police should reclaim social legitimacy and public trust terming it as the "need of the hour" and suggested that the first step to gain the same is to break the nexus with the political executive.
"The need of the hour is to reclaim social legitimacy and public trust. The first step to gain the same is to break the nexus with the political executive," CJI said while addressing the 19th DP Kohli Memorial Lecture.
CJI also opined that people hesitate to approach the police in times of despair as the image of the institution of police is regrettably tarnished by allegations of corruption, police excesses, lack of impartiality and close nexus with the political class.
"Often, the police officers approach us with the complaint that they are being harassed after the change in the regime," CJI said.
"The truth is, that no matter how deficient and non-cooperative the other institutions may be, if you all stand by your ethics and stand united with integrity, nothing can come in the way of your duty. In fact, this stands true for all institutions," CJI said.
CJI also pointed out a few issues that are affecting the system, including a lack of infrastructure, sufficient manpower, and modern equipment. He also highlighted the lack of public prosecutors and standing counsels, seeking adjournments, arraying hundreds of witnesses, and filing voluminous documents in pending trials which are certain issues that leads to delays in trials.
"These issues often lead to the acquittal of the guilty and incarceration of the innocent. This severely affects the public trust on the system. The courts cannot simply monitor every
step," CJI said adding that reform of the police system is long overdue in our country.
CJI was speaking in an event organised by the Central Bureau of lnvestigation (CBI). The event has organised an Annual Lecture in the memory of its founding Director, DP Kohli, and also an investiture Ceremony to felicitate CBI Awardees in Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi.
CJI said that there is an urgent requirement for modernizing the police system, and there
should be a political will to ensure democratic policing. Without such reform, the police stand to appear out of touch and outdated, he added.
He also mentioned George Orwell, the famous author, who had initially worked in the imperial police services in the subcontinent and described the work of policing as "the dirty work of empire".
He also pointed out that The misuse of police by political masters is not a new feature.
"The British Empire deployed domination, surveillance, and coercion, which remain the enduring feature of the Indian police. When the Indian National Congress started leading the freedom struggle, the Empire created a Central Intelligence Agency for collecting information about political and social movements and the freedom struggle. You all know how CBI evolved from SPE with the aid of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act," he said.
