NEW DELHI: Nearly six years after the apex court’s direction that states and districts set up police complaints authorities for civilians to register complaints against offending cops, a two-day conference in the capital has highlighted the need for these bodies to be tougher and more independent.
The deliberation concluded that the concept of oversight bodies that allow people to complain against the police is still new, and the bodies themselves at a nascent stage. The conference noted that not only do such bodies struggle to carry out mandates, but they also face deep resistance from police.
“There are only 10 functional PCAs, and 18 states have set up PCAs only on paper. Delhi doesn’t even have a PCA, and the new Police Acts are so retrogressive that the Police Act of 1861 was better,” said Navaz Kotwal, co-ordinator, police reforms programme, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, which organized the conference. She also said these bodies had been compromised in terms of composition, mandate, selection process and lack of funding.
Chairpersons and members of PCAs, police leadership, and members of civilian society discussed measures to strengthen the complaints process, so that the established bodies can effectively address police misconduct and the lack of accountability. The chairperson of the Tripura PCA said their recommendations were not binding, while the chairperson on the Union Territory of Chandigarh PCA said their recommendations were binding, but not implemented. Members of civil society said participation of serving police officers, and retired police and IAS officers, also threaten the legitimacy of these bodies.
Source: Times of India
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