POLICE REFORMS WATCH
Networking with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), New Delhi
43, Kalina, Santacruz East, Mumbai - 400 029. l Tel : 98202 26227
Email : [email protected] l www.humanrightsinititiative.org
19/07/14
URGENT PRESS STATEMENT
Dolphy Dsouza, Convenor Police Reforms Watch- Mumbai reactions: " POLICE
REFORMS WATCH-Mumbai" condemns the Governor of Maharashtra's decision to give
his assent to the regressive Maharashtra Police Amendment Bill, 2014. It has
been confirmed that the Governor has signed the Bill which was passed by both
Houses of the Legislature on 14th June 2014, with no changes. The Governor has
given assent even after meeting a civil society delegation led by Shri Julio
Rebeiro, accompanied by Mr. Satish Sahney, Ms Maja Daruwala of the Commonwealth
Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and Mr. Dolphy Dsouza -Police Reforms Watch,
which met him on June 30 to express how brazenly the Bill denigrates police
reform. The delegation had urged the Governor to invoke his powers under
Article 200 of the Constitution to send recommended changes for the
consideration of both houses of the State Legislature.
This Bill, now set to become law, is not in the interest of the state. It
is anti-police and anti-people. The political class has had its way. The right
thing would have been for the Bill to amend the Maharashtra Police Act 1951 to
incorporate the directives of the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case. But
the Bill is brazenly designed to defy every single one of the Court's
directives. Besides the stakeholders in this case, the Citizens were totally
ignored before this Bill was passed.
The public are going to bear the brunt of such a bad law which will lead to
policing completely captured by political compulsions.
PRW Mumbai expresses its grave disappointment at the failure of the
Governor to use his high constitutional authority to prevent this Bill in its
current form from becoming law.
Our next course of action:
We will now take the campaign against the Bill in the people's court. We
will organise meetings with citizens, various womens groups and ngo's to raise
their voices against such a regressive Bill. We will also be interacting with
the different political parties and their leadership demanding that they
include a better law for policing in their manfesto. And if they come to power
they will amend this bill which is not in the interest of the public for better
policing for a safer mumbai/maharashtra.
We want to make this a poll issue and demand "ABKI BAAR SACCHA POLICE
SUDHAR".
Dolphy Dsouza
Convenor
POLICE REFORMS WATCH
09820226227
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Maja Daruwala <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 2:58 PM
Maja Daruwala Director of CHRI which closely monitors police reform said in
reaction to the news that the Governor had signed the 2014 Maharashtra Police
Amendment Act.
" To say that the Governor has signed a law that goes completely contrary
to the Supreme Court directions while pretending to comply with it is to say
too little. This law is a disaster for the police and the public. It has never
been discussed in public and is to my mind a fraud on the public. It reduces
the possibility of good policing to zero and in the end endangers everyone's
security. All this pious stuff about ensuring better safety for women is an eye
wash when you look at the brazen way the new law politicises the police. All
the bad practice of interfering with the everyday functioning and management of
the police has now been enacted into law. The Governor was wrong not to advise
caution and reconsideration. It is an extremely sorry situation for a fine
State like Maharashtra. "
--
Maja Daruwala
Director
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
B-117, First Floor, Sarvodaya Enclave
New Delhi, INDIA, 110017
Tel No 91 11 43180205:4106 8605 (O)
Tel No 91 11 26868961 (H)
Fax No 91 11 26864688 (O)
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
website: www.humanrightsinitiative.org
