Jaspal Singh who has taken over as Goa’s Director General of Police is no stranger to Goa. He was first posted here as Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1999 and in 2017 as IGP. Indra Dev Shukla who has retired as DGP during his short stint tried his best to uplift the police force which over the years has sadly been lacking independence in its functioning with the politicians in power having done all they can to systematically erode the powers and authority of the DGP.
The Supreme Court has time and again ruled that the police should be wholly insulated from any political pressure, whatsoever, so as to be able to secure the citizen's rights under the Constitution and that the Police should be allowed to freely and fearlessly discharge their fundamental duties of ensuring law and order while upholding the Rule of law. For good public policing the politicians should never use the police to target their political opponents and to silence voices of dissent. Politicians publicly speak about the independence of the police and of law taking its own course, but the ground reality is very different as they interfere and unduly intervene even in the day to day working of the police. We have a lot of good and smart police but unfortunately their brains and investigative skills are in the custody of the politicians whose line they have to tow. Tackling the grave drug menace, rising crime and enormous corruption at all levels of governance are some of the challenges Jaspal Singh will have to grapple with as the new DGP of Goa. Let us all wishing him well. Adv. Aires Rodrigues C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.in