Do away with the post of constable, says PADC

NEW DELHI: The Police Act Drafting Committee (PADC) headed by former attorney general Soli Sorabjee, in an effort to infuse greater professionalism into the police force, has recommended abolition of the rank of constable and replacing it with a primary rank of Grade II civil police officer.

However, a recruit can attain this rank of a Grade II officer only after undergoing a three-year training course as stipendiary cadet, culminating in a bachelor’s degree in police studies.

The new proposal, included in the new draft Police Act put together by the PADC which submitted its report to Union home minister Shivraj Patil on Monday, is a take-off on the system followed in the Army. In the Army, NDA cadets go through a three-year course before they attain a bachelor’s degree and can serve as officers after they complete another year of specialised training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA).

According to the PADC, the recommendation for doing away with the rank of constabulary in the civil police was made keeping in mind the need for the civil police personnel to be better-educated so as to “exercise discretionary powers in dealing with people and investigating cases.”

Among the other recommendations made by the PADC are separation of law and order and investigation duties at the district level and a fixed two-year tenure for DGPs, DSPs and SHOs.

Both the recommendations have been included in Supreme Court September 22 directive on police reforms. The other key directions of the apex court like the selection criteria for state DGPs and setting up of a state police board to insulate police from political interference, an establishment committee to decide on transfers and postings and a police complaint authority to deal with grievances against the police have also been incorporated.

Importantly, the new draft Police Act, which is meant to replace the archaic Indian Police Act of 1861, provides for penalising police officers for dereliction of duty as also the persons who are found to be interfering with discharge of duties by police personnel.

Speaking to newspersons after presenting the PADC’s report to Mr Patil, Mr Soli Sorabjee expressed confidence that, with the Supreme Court already putting the states on notice to implement the police reforms by December 31, the states might have to fall in line. “In any case, the UTs can take the lead by implementing these police reforms,” he said.

As for entrusting investigation of federal crimes like terrorism, narcotics trafficking and money laundering to an independent agency like the CBI, Mr Sorabjee said the draft PADC did not address the issue.

However, Mr Sorabjee indicated a possibility of the government’s extending the PADC’s term, which otherwise expires on October 31, to go into the question of separate investigation of federal crimes and make its recommendation on the issue to the Supreme Court by its deadline of January 31.