URGENT PRESS RELEASE
Dear Madam / Sir,
Could you please announce this event in your esteemed publication and also
depute your Reporter to cover this event.
Thank you for your support.
Dolphy D'souza
CIP
9820226227
CITIZENS' INITIATIVE FOR PEACE
Invites You to a Public Meeting
On
Police Reforms: For A Citizen Friendly Police
At
St. Xavier's College Hall,
Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai 40001
On
Thursday 25th November 2010 at 5:30 PM
SPEAKERS
Dr.Kiran Bedi
Ex IPS Officer and Social Activist
Ms Maja Daruwala
Director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
Mihir Desai
High Court Advocate & Member, Governing Council of ICHRL
Talks to be followed by an Interactive Session
All are welcome
Website: www.mumbaicitizens.com Contact: Salil 9324869143, Dolphy 9820226227,
Soheb Lokhandwala 9833627173
Police Reforms: Why needed urgently?
To make police function autonomous and eliminate undue political/bureaucratic
interferences. Also to ensure that they are not able to misuse their powers and
become citizen friendly.
Background
The Janata Party in 1977, to investigate the reasons of Police brutalities and
to improve its working, appointed a National Police Commission to have a
comprehensive review of the police system. The Commission examined all relevant
issues in about three and a half years & submitted 8 reports from February 1979
to May 1981. As the recommendations of National Police Commission were not
implemented, 2 retired DGPs, Prakash Singh and N K Singh, filed a PIL in the
Supreme Court in 1996. The Supreme Court delivered its judgement on 22nd
September 2006 giving the following directions to the Central Government, State
Governments and Union Territories for compliance.
The Supreme Court Directives:
1.Constitute a State Security Commission so that state government does not
exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the police, lay down broad policy
guidelines 2. Director General of Police is appointed through a merit based,
transparent process and enjoys a minimum tenure of two years 3. Police officers
on operational duties a minimum tenure of two years; 4. Set up a Police
Establishment Board, which will decide all transfers, postings, promotions and
other service related matters of police officers; 5. Set up independent Police
Complaints Authorities at the state and district levels to look into public
complaints against police officers in cases of serious misconduct, including
custodial death, grievous hurt or rape in police custody; 6. Separate the
investigation and law and order functions of the police to ensure speedier
investigation, better expertise
Recent Supreme Court Order
The Supreme Court in its recent order has issued strictures against four state
governments viz. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and
asked their Chief Secretaries to remain present at the next hearing on the
coming December 6th to explain non-compliance of the directives.
Conclusion
Overall the implementation of Police reforms is dismal except for a few states.
The Maharashtra Government has failed to implement inspite of several promises.
Regards
Dolphy D'souza
CIP
