'Model Police Act does not serve any purpose'

Mumbai, July 21: Eminent social activist Teesta Seetalwad has said that if certain grey areas in the draft Model Police Act were not addressed by the government, the proposed Accountability Comission would not be less than a toothless body and it would also give greater impunity to the police force in the country.

Participating in a panel discussion on Police Reforms and Model Police Act organised by city-based Centre for Human Rights and Law here yesterday, Ms Seetalwad said the proposed legislation was a shoddy piece which does not serve the very purpose of reforming the police force.

''The draft legislation does not grant punitive powers to the Accountabality Commission. Moreover, police officials have been granted impunity from the prosecution as the prosecution agency will have to take sanction for prosecution of the police officials from the government,'' she said.

She said the Model Act states: ''The Accountability Commission will not enertain complaints, if the complainant has already approached the court or if any other commission has taken cognizance of the complaint.'' On the issue of the apex court's September 2006 judgement in the Prakash Singh Vs Union of India case on police reforms, Ms Seetalwad said the SC judgement did not say anything on the monitoring of extra judicial killings or excesses committed by the police officials.

The SC had passed a judgment in September last year in which it had issued directives to the Union government, all the State governments and Union territories on the issue of police reforms.

The directives included setting up of the State Accountability Commission to ensure that the state government does not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the state police and also to lay down the broad policy guidelines for the police force.

Lawyer Mihir Desai, who was also present on the occasion, said the proposed legislation does not measure up to the expectations as it lacks transparency and accountability, which are the two most important factors in ushering in any kind of reforms in the country's policing structure.

However, former IPS officer Y P Singh differed with the two other panelists and termed the proposed legislation as a step forward in changing the antiquatted policing methods.

''Much thought process has gone into drafting of the proposed legislation. I feel at least a process of change has been put in motion,'' he said.

He, however, said that while he wanted the draft proposal to see the light of the day, he was unsure about its fate given the fact that no authority would ever want to clip its own wings.

UNI