HC’s lessons in policing

The Bombay High Court’s rejection of the Aguiar Committee report may be a resounding victory for the Mumbai police, but it’s not yet time for jubilation. By issuing a set of guidelines with the its ruling the court has set a tough frame-work for the police to follow while planning, executing and recording skirmishes with criminals. The seven guidelines issued by the court are quite exhaustive and deal with such nitty gritty as records maintained in the station diary to the first information report to the conduct of panchnama. The guidelines reflect the division bench’s concern that its verdict should not seen as a licence-to-kill for police. The same concern is apparent in the bench’s directive to State Government to initiate urgent steps to set up the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission.

But one thing is for sure, Mumbai police could not have asked for more: a favourable verdict in the encounters case, promulgation of the Maharashtra Organised Crime Control Act (OCCA) and the externment ofMumbai’s only resident don Arun Gawli, all in the span of few days have come as great morale-booster. While the Mumbai police is already on top, what with several top gangsters killed in encounters in the last few months, it’s just the right time to kick-start a concerted campaign against the underworld. OCCA provides police with enough teeth to deal with the scourge of extortion by making it an unbailable offence. It also makes recorded phone conversations admissible as evidence. It’s time then for Mumbai police to repair its image which took a beating with a series of extortion-related killings and threats to professionals. It’s time also for the force to take a good hard look at their procedures and try to plug the loopholes – they must bear in mind that instead of guidelines the court could well issue strictures next time.