DGP move to cleanse police force

KOZHIKODE:  Finally, the state Police Department has decided to crack the whip on errant cops to wipe out those with criminal tendencies from the police force. According to the instructions issued by the DGP, all crimes in which police personnel are accused will be treated as special report grave crimes and “criminal tendencies among police personnel, whether in official or personal capacity, must be severely dealt with and  if possible, completely eliminated.”“The investigation will be done by an officer of the rank of CI and an officer of the rank of DySP will be personally supervising the investigation.In case of officers of and above the rank of Circle Inspector being accused of a crime, then the investigation shall be personally supervised by an officer of such rank as may be decided by the State Police Chief,” says the circular issued by DGP Jacob Punnoose.A copy of every FIR has to be forwarded to police headquarters, where it will be maintained in a register in a prescribed manner.Based on the data, a comprehensive list of police personnel involved in crimes will be prepared and it will be reviewed by a committee comprising ADGP(Zones), ADGP (Crimes) and ADGP (Intelligence) during August andFebruary every year.“The committee will evaluate the prima facie sufficiency and propriety of police action and investigation and give suggestions for further action. It will also recommend the cases of those people whose behaviour is so unsuitable as to warrant their removal from the force invoking the provisions of Section 86 of the Kerala Police Act, 2011. The adequacy and propriety of disciplinary action, disciplinary punishment, suspension, and reinstatement will also be reviewed,” says the letter.In each case, the recommendation regarding the need for corrective action has to be submitted to the state police chief, it adds.The circular also directs to report all such crime cases reported from July 1, 2011 onwards and those cases which are pending investigation or are under trial as on July 7, to the police headquarters so as to maintain the register and to prepare a master list of cases.