UP police speak up, want to change the system

Lucknow, March 5: After the murder of a DSP, Uttar Pradesh Provincial Police Service association has expressed grave concern over the state of policing and called for a

within the force.

"Things will not improve as long as there is a tendency to honour corrupt, casteist officials who claim to be most honest but act as servants of those in power and are given the responsibility of leading the force," senior police officer and UPPPS president Jugal Kishore told PTI here.

Police would not be able to serve the cause of justice so long as they saw things from a casteist, communal angle, noted Kishore. "There is a need to take a resolve to work impartially and see that justice is done," he said.

Kishore said that there have been calls for change within the force itself and mentioned a UPPPS meeting held after the killing of their colleague DSP Zia-ul-Haq in Pratapgarh where participating officers spoke about a need to introspect over the erosion of values that the force had been a witness to in the recent past.

Kishore added that the association had also sought time with the Chief Minister to apprise him of these problems.

"At times we bow before those in power out of some compulsion and weakness, whereas the constitution does not ask us to agree to something that is wrong or against the law," Kishore observed.

While referring to the killing of DSP Zia-ul-Haq, Kishore said that he was for stern action against the policemen who had deserted their officer when he was attacked. The DSP was killed by a mob in Pratapgarh district on Saturday when he had rushed there after a village head was shot dead over a land dispute.

PTI