Bhopal: A total of 10,089 complaints were registered against police personnel in Madhya Pradesh last year. This was revealed in data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently. This suggests an average 27 complaints per day. Notable in this regard is a recent incident where a constable from Ashoknagar district allegedly kidnapped and raped a 17-year-old school girl three days back. Of the total complaints received against policemen in MP last year, nearly 6,189 were rejected as false or unsubstantiated after initial inquiry, according to NCRB’s latest data, apparently suggesting that MP police was soft in taking action against their brethren.
Only 127 policemen were charge-sheeted and 88 arrested last year in connection with offences against them, as per the data thus reflecting slow prosecution of law enforcers. Besides, a total 2,473 departmental enquiries were conducted on complaints against policemen, while only two judicial inquiries were carried out, but no magisterial inquiry was done against the law enforcers in MP, the NCRB report said.
In contrast, Kerala was way ahead in taking action against its policemen last year. The southern state received 4,634 complaints against policemen in 2015. Of them, only 599 were rejected as false or unsubstantiated, the report said. In Kerala, 2,903 departmental, 55 judicial and seven magisterial inquiries were carried out on complaints against policemen, it said.
However, Madhya Pradesh police claims they take prompt action on complaints against cops. We acknowledge each and every complaint whether it is against police or anybody. We also take prompt action, Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police, Rishi Kumar Shukla told. The State police welcome complaints against its men rather than discouraging them, he said.