Amid national outrage over hospital security, it’s crucial to question the existence and unchecked power of these political party-backed forces embedded in law enforcement. Apart from glaring security concern for the doctors and the hospital premises, this incident of rape and murder of a doctor – who was on duty and was resting after her shift inside a seminar hall located on the fourth floor of the main building in a government hospital- underscores the urgent need to scrutinise the role and accountability of civic police volunteers in West Bengal.
The civic police volunteer force, that was raised in 2013 by Mamata Banerjee’s government for community engagement, has now grown into an unchecked and unverified force, operating with a level of autonomy and influence that mirrors other semi-official forces like the special police constables in Jungle Mahal or the Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh. The basic difference among these informal forces with excessive authority or unbridled power lies solely in their mandate.
Who Is A Civic Police Volunteer?
These volunteers, initially recruited for basic law enforcement support – including assisting in traffic management, helping people during natural disasters, assisting police during major festivals, or keeping a watch on local incidents – have now gained undisputed access to various places, wielding power that often goes unchallenged. Their actions and authority are rarely scrutinised, leading to a parallel system of enforcement that exists outside the formal structures of law and order.
The case is the same for political party-controlled police associations or police welfare boards. The members are often accused by the senior police officers of ‘insubordination’, ‘denying senior’s order and authority’, ‘indulging into excess’ and ‘getting away with all sorts of rule violation’.
In the specific case of Sanjay Roy, the accused in the rape and murder case, was living in a police barrack, which is meant for police personnel and not for civic volunteers. Abuse of political power has become routine for such organisations, claimed senior police officers.
No Accountability, No Transparency
This situation has raised concerns about accountability, transparency, and the potential for abuse of power, as these volunteers operate without the rigorous oversight typically required for official law enforcement personnel.
The monthly salary or honorarium for a civic police volunteer was raised from initial Rs 2,000 in 2013 to Rs 8,000 in 2018. It was raised further later, and the government also announced Puja Bonus of over Rs 5,000 for them. However, they do not come under a regular police structure, where there is a system of reward and punishment, promotion or suspension and issues.
However, there is no proper mechanism of the examination system to recruit them. The eligibility criteria includes that candidates must be local residents and should have completed at least Class VIII.
According to a notice by Kolkata Police, dated July 24, inviting applications for civic volunteers, the applicant has to be a local, physically and mentally fit and with no criminal antecedent. The document has been accessed by News18. There has been no mention of any examination or test. The volunteers get a week’s training before being inducted as a volunteer on a contractual basis.
Political Tool
The Opposition parties, including BJP, Congress and CPM, have time and again accused this huge force of being a ‘political tool’ and a ‘parking place for Trinamool Cadres’.
The Election Commission of India started expressing concern about the use of the civic police volunteer force around the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections. In 2021, the ECI said that the volunteers cannot be used in election related work.
During this period, there were reports and allegations of misuse and political influence involving the volunteers, which led to scrutiny from the Election Commission. The Commission’s concerns included the potential for the civic volunteers to be used inappropriately during elections and the need for proper oversight and regulation to ensure impartiality and fairness.
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