Corruption is a complex problem with its roots and effects pervading society as a whole. The Santhanam Committee’s 1964 report defined corruption as “the improper or selfish exercise of power and influence connected with a public office or a particular position in public life”.
1. In fact, corruption in some form or the other has always existed in the country. During the last decade, many cases of corruption and scams have come to the public due to the cautious press, efforts of public welfare individuals and active judiciary. Bofors, HDW submarine deal, Airbus deal, ABB loco deal, Jain hawala racket, sugar scam, security scam, urea scam, fodder scam in Bihar and Tehelka tape etc. are some examples of this. These scams that came to light were just a glimpse. Most of these scams were related to “public expenditure” of the central and state governments. Equally worrying are the cases of corruption in the collection of public revenue and its arrears. The national exchequer has suffered a loss of thousands of crores of rupees due to corruption in collection of direct and indirect taxes, non-recovery of loans from industrialists, money laundering in the banking sector etc. Thus, Transparency International, a Berlin-based non-governmental organization, has ranked India as the 22nd most corrupt country in the world in its year 2000 Corruption Perceptions Index. Over the years, the traps of corruption have spread to the system of governance – civil, political and military. Now, no institution can honestly claim that it is completely free from corruption. Most citizens find corruption at every level of life and in every sphere.
Of course, it can be said that corruption is not a myth, but it has become a way of life in the country. But, mythologizing corruption by hiding the real and the unreal and exploiting the dormant emotions and psychic energies in the collective unconsciousness of the masses creates the danger that people may make false or distorted assumptions about the image of organizations. The Santhanam Committee has also referred to this trend and said, “We have heard from all sides that in recent years corruption has spread even to levels of administration where it was clearly absent in the past… Common assumptions are inappropriate and exaggerated. But, the fact that such perceptions exist damages the social fabric”3 Gunnar Myrdal4 calls this trend “the folklore of corruption”.
2. Unlike other executive organs of government, the police, which has the greatest presence in society, is the beloved subject of such folklore. Their omissions and shortcomings quickly attract public attention and spread like wildfire through gossip and hearsay. Because the police take a defensive attitude and many of its actions are wrapped in secrecy, there is a tendency to myth or sensationalize omissions such as corruption. The image of police that is formed in the minds of people always remains bad and tarnished. For example, studies on the public image of the police conducted by the Banaras Hindu University in 1972 and the Indian Institute of Public Opinion, New Delhi in 1978 revealed a highly unattractive image of the police in the minds of the people.
These studies showed that people who had personal experience or some interaction with the police had better perceptions of the police than those who had formed their own opinions on hearsay without any personal information. Another recent sample survey conducted by ‘The Statesman’ in Delhi also demonstrated the above trend. Although the main finding of the survey was that “the police are drunk with power, corrupt, immoral and without any professional ethics”, more than 90 per cent of respondents also denied bribing any policeman; nor did they ever see any policeman beating the alleged perpetrator6. Another research study conducted by Mr. UNB Rao, IPS reveals more in this regard7. Of the 2,071 respondents (adolescent students from 9 different mega/metros in India) who answered a question “whether they have ever met and spoken to a policeman”, 72 per cent claimed in the negative. The overwhelming majority of these students had a negative impact on the working style and image of the police. For example, 75 per cent of them based such perceptions of young adults of the evil of the police and policing apparatus largely on the media (63 to 70 per cent), while 21 to 30 per cent of respondents said they had heard about the police from others Significantly, only 13 per cent of them confirmed that they had had personal experience or interaction with the police. Thus, a key finding of the study was that the less awareness there is of police work and police limitations, the greater the misconceptions students or the public have about the police.
3. The reality is that most people, especially those in rural areas, have no personal or specific information on issues such as corruption in the police. But, in such cases their perceptions have been formed mainly on the basis of media or hearsay. With its effective network across the country, visual media heavily publicizes such factors that damage the image of the police. The media often gives prominence to examples of corruption and other misdeeds of policemen and stories of their prosecution and conviction. Often, fictional stories woven around fictional characters or examples dominate facts and make it difficult to decide where true stories end and fictional stories begin. Undoubtedly, there has been a significant increase in public awareness about policing, but issues like corruption are hidden areas where facts, imagination, myths, perception and reality are so intricately intertwined. The convicted policeman becomes a symbol of the entire organization and his misbehavior is used as a powerful weapon to tarnish the image of the police force. Many embrace Senator McCarthy8’s infamous “guilt by association” technique and some stigmatize police based on personnel deficiencies.
4. Paramilitary orientation and general discipline in the organization are major contributing factors in creating such a perception on the police by the public. There is a general tendency in the police hierarchy not to accept personnel omissions. On many occasions, they deliberately try to hide or cover up these omissions and defend the guilty personnel under the pretext of protecting the morale and image of the Organization. Lord Delvin was right when he said, “It is the usual habit of the police not to admit the slightest omission” 9. But, this approach, instead of protecting the image of the organization, causes further embarrassment to the police force when critics of the media or police come up with highly exaggerated imaginary ‘stories’ on the misdeeds of the personnel. This stresses the need to promote a more frank, transparent and open relationship between the police-public based on mutual respect and understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities.
5. Police leadership should thwart attempts to mythologize corruption, by introducing concrete organizational strategies and innovations, particularly changes in the attitude of police managers towards the media and society. They must develop a realistic approach to the corruption that is rampant in the police, which can no longer be suppressed nor kept out of sight of the vigilant public by applying the principles of a culture of secrecy or discipline. In fact, corruption in the police is not a new phenomenon, but ironically, the organization rarely took the issue seriously. The police commission appointed by the British government, namely the Second Police Commission (1902-03), which investigated the functioning of the police, had stated, “One of the strongest pieces of evidence the commission found about corruption in the police is the testimony of responsible parents, teachers and other gentlemen”, In which it is told how difficult it is to accept direct appointments like Sub-Inspector and Inspector that a youth sometimes gets. He finds himself a member of a corrupt service, he is beset by influences that prevent him from acting honestly, and the evidence provided suggests that the worm of corruption more or less affects the police force, from constables to inspectors
6. The First Police Commission of Independent India (1977-1981), which was headed by Late Dharamvir, had spoken of the rampant corruption in the police and remarked that “in the perception of the people, the serious characteristics of the police are politically oriented partisan performance of duties, partisanship, corruption and inefficiency, the amount of which varies from place to place and person to person… What the Police Commission said in 1903 applies more or less equally to the current conditions of the police today”11 More than two decades have passed since the report was submitted by the Police Commission, but not much appears to have been done to combat corruption or other ills in the police.
7. As a popular saying goes that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, two cognitive characteristics of the police, namely power and discretion, give personnel plenty of scope to engage in corruption. Discharging the basic functions of the police, such as the maintenance of peace and order, the prevention and detection of crime and criminal activities, they enjoy wide powers. Similarly, the discretion of the police is a double-edged sword that can be used or misused by personnel in law and order situations. Although personnel are obliged to use these specific characteristics strictly in accordance with procedures and formalities, those intoxicated with immense powers and selfish can abuse them in order to obtain private gain. Such “deviant behaviour” of personnel appears in various forms in many areas of policing. Basically, these personnel behave rudely and domineering towards ordinary citizens who come to the police in distress. They refuse to register FIRs of helpless citizens who should otherwise seek the recommendation of political middlemen or be prepared to help the personnel concerned. Even if an FIR is registered, investigation or other follow-up action as per law will be taken only if the subordinate police officers are appeased by paying bribes in proportion to the seriousness of the complaint. In addition, periodic payments must be made to ensure that the paperwork is completed without default. A small omission in the bribe payment schedule will result in the case being immediately removed from the priority list and inordinate delay in investigation or prosecution.
Influenced by corruption or other external factors, the police resort to illegal methods and procedures such as use of third degree methods, fabricating evidence, falsely implicating innocent persons in criminal cases, distorting evidence to strengthen or weaken cases. -Torture, illegal detention, concealment of cognizable offences, Delaying the arrest of persons and allowing them to get anticipatory bail to avoid arrest etc. In case of more serious crimes like murder, rape, dowry death, accident cases in which the accused are poor or deprived, corrupt employees exploit them and their relatives to the maximum extent under the pretext of helping them and getting them out of trouble. But eventually, they end up in jail after trial and conviction. Thus, Mr. K.F. Rustamji, IP, had commented that “the old belief is that if you kill someone, you will be executed, now the new belief is coming out that if you kill someone, you can get away with bribes or be acquitted for lack of evidence”
8. Over the years, corruption has spread to other sectors of the police. This is mainly due to the continuous expansion of the role of the police due to the enactment of many social and other laws to be implemented by the police. “The success of any social law depends on its effective implementation and the police have a protective and encouraging role in this area”13 However, the police have several limitations in the effective enforcement of such laws. Because of the ambiguities in many of these laws and the police’s discretion to “take action or not” with respect to certain crimes within them, police personnel have ample opportunities to adopt corrupt practices during the enforcement of such acts. For example, when it is to be decided whether the provisions of the ‘Sati Prevention Act – 1987’ can be invoked against the relatives of a widow who commits sati of her own volition, the discretion of the police will prevail over all other factors. The situation is similar in the case of many other crimes like child labour, untouchability, immoral trade of women, indecent portrayal of women etc., which have been brought under the ambit of many social laws. The increasing incidents of corruption in the police in dealing with gender issues like dowry deaths, exploitation of women etc. is an equally disturbing trend. Hundreds of unnatural deaths falling in the above categories are closed without proper investigation. For example, of the 714 unnatural deaths of married women under the age of 40 in Bangalore in 1997, 455 were from burns. These cases were regularly classified as ‘stove bursts’ or ‘kitchen accidents’ and later closed as accidents without investigation.
9. Abuse of police powers and discretion in violation of established procedures and practices with the ulterior motive of obtaining “illegal benefits” is only one aspect of police corruption. Open instances of corruption by lower-level officers of the police who remain in direct contact with the public have a wide-ranging impact on the image of the police and police-public relations. Mr. P. of Bangalore University.E. Somaiya, who has initiated the research project titled “Bangalore City Police: A Study on Organization and Personnel Problem”, has given a detailed description of these unhealthy practices: “Since civil regulations in our cities and towns are not specific and fixed, there are a variety of criminal activities on footpaths and in open spaces”. Policemen, especially constables, harass people several times a day and extort money from them.
In most places, there is an agreement between street vendors and the police regarding the “minor amount” (bribe) given to the police. According to rumors spread in police circles, the money collected from these people reaches the top. Many night beat constables in the limits of Bangalore City police stations charge amounts ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 20 or more by approaching breakfast and handcarts immediately after reaching duty at 9 pm. Even small shopkeepers, grocery and stationery shops are not spared. People at lower levels also take away stationery items like pens. From shops near police stations, constables buy refills, white paper, carbon sheets, ink, torch batteries and newspapers for their regular office work. Many times they harass the complainant to buy these items for his official use. On the eve of festivals or when a new officer takes charge of the jurisdiction or an employee retires from service, constables flock to collect money and household items from some of the people and shops falling under their jurisdiction.15 From the point of view of police corruption, Bangalore city is not an isolated case, but it is a symbol of the realities of corruption which are clearly visible among the lower level policemen in almost all the big/metropolitan and urban agglomerations of the country.
10. The increasing nexus between policemen and mafia operators at various levels in most of the cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Hyderabad etc. is another worrying trend. These mafia syndicates bribe the police and the organized crime they commit, such as periodic extortion, kidnapping for ransom and “betel nut murder”, goes undetected. Similarly, some policemen engage in trafficking, condone alcohol-induced crimes and condone anti-social crimes such as trafficking in women, drug trafficking, etc. Criminalization of politics and political patronage, as well as the muscle power and money power enjoyed by the underworld, lead many policemen to collude with such forces to make material gains. Formed in April 1993 by the Government of India, Mr. N.N. The Vohra Committee16 had highlighted in its report that there had been a rapid proliferation and growth of criminal gangs, armed forces, drug lords, trafficking rings and economic lobbies which over the years had developed an extensive network of contacts with police, bureaucrats, government officials, politicians and media persons However, not much has yet been done to free politics and governance from the unholy nexus of such groups.
11. There are contradictions in the approach of the police and the public on issues like corruption. The general public aspires to an honest, impartial and professionally competent “people’s police”, while the general belief of many policemen is that if the public wants policemen to behave like London policemen, they too should be like the people there. Must be honest, transparent, sophisticated and helpful. Often, policemen make sound arguments such as the police being the mirror of the image of society or the behavior of a policeman living in a corrupt society will be the same and honesty and integrity come from the community in which he lives. But, on closer analysis, we can find these arguments emotional. As the very popular saying goes that “purity begins at home”, it is true that reforms or changes can be initiated in a small (compared to society) fixed, well-organized and disciplined organization such as the police more easily than in society as a whole. Can be done. A person like Lord Denning had said that it is the duty of the police to bring about change before the police and the public.
12. When we discuss mechanisms to combat corruption and organized efforts to mythologize it, the first and foremost task must be the implementation of reforms/changes, particularly at the organizational and personnel levels. However, such improvements must come from the recruitment and training of police personnel, that is, at grass-roots level. It is regrettable that there is no uniformity in the recruitment of middle level police personnel like sub-inspectors in our country. In some states like Kerala, constables are recruited by the Public Service Commission, while in other states like Tamil Nadu by a similar service recruitment board, headed by the Director General of Police or Additional Director General of Police, all members are drawn from the police force and one or two members such as psychologists or sociologists are inducted from outside. The problem lies not in the status or form of the recruitment board, but in the transparency and honesty of the persons carrying out the entire process.
The recent revelation of the Punjab Public Service Commission recruitment scam, in which the Chairman himself was found to be allegedly involved in corrupt practices in recruitment in the state civil services, including the police, raises real doubts on the integrity of constitutional bodies like the Public Service Commission, which are now more Are under political influence. The situation is no different in the case of uniformed recruitment boards (police), which also resort to unethical practices while recruiting personnel. Unfortunately, those personnel who get appointment in the police force by giving the highest bid (of bribe) to the recruitment boards or their agents try to recover the bribe amount from the day they join the service. Such unhealthy tendencies that promote corruption in police organization can be countered only by ensuring transparency in the recruitment process, for which the police hierarchy and the Government should formulate joint strategies.
Improving the image of Public Service Commissions by appointing persons of proven integrity and integrity, inclusion of retired judges or management experts in department level recruitment boards, handing over the task of selection examination/examination to independent professional agencies etc., ensuring transparency during recruitment. There are some viable measures.
13. Another equally important area is training, which develops appropriate attitudes in new recruits and modifies undesirable attitudes. But, police training in the country is in a pitiful condition. Except for a few key institutions like the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, most of the police training establishments in the states are inadequate in terms of infrastructure and resources and are also inefficient due to low level of human resources. There is an unfortunate trend with regard to these institutions, particularly those engaged in lower – and middle-rank training in many States, that they cannot motivate and encourage new recruits in line with the mission and objectives of the Organization. Instead, the adverse ‘impression’ that some training instructors create in their minds during the training period due to their sluggish, indifferent and overbearing attitude is re-appeared in the form of unhealthy symptoms such as lack of integrity, corruption etc. during their active service. It happens.
14. The general working environment, low wages and lack of financial incentives are often said to make government employees adopt corrupt practices to meet their needs. Although there is some truth in this argument, corruption is essentially a ‘habit maker’ and once an officer starts taking bribes, he makes it a permanent habit and adopts all methods to accumulate wealth in any way. Is. But, in organizations such as the police, where the stress, pressure and frustration of the law enforcement profession lead to large numbers of workers becoming rude and cynical, improving their working conditions, salaries and other facilities will have a positive impact in curbing corruption. Thus, it is necessary to take a fresh look at the work environment and management style for the police organization and to see how it can be moulded into a more human professional and service oriented department.
A number of innovative mechanisms could be considered in this regard. Human resource development in police units through ‘micro-economic governance’17 by involving police personnel and their families in sustainable development schemes such as police public schools, banking/cooperative entities, IT kiosks, housing societies, horticulture and production units such as police apparel, bakeries, will help enrich the standard of living of members of police organizations. Most of the police units of Madhya Pradesh have successfully implemented such schemes. Similarly, a police hospital with all modern facilities and staff in all state capitals on the lines of a military hospital for the treatment of serving and retired police personnel and their dependents and provision and supply of household items at concessional rates in all district headquarters. Police department stores will help in boosting the morale of the police. A system of monetary incentives such as awarding police personnel an amount equal to 5 to 10 per cent of the total value of stolen or recovered property would induce personnel to give their best during investigations that would lead to greater professionalism and a reduction in corruption.
15. The success of such innovative mechanisms depends on the approach of police leaders, who have substantial powers in the organization. Two aspects are important in this regard. First, there must be effective decentralization of powers and functions to the various levels of police administration. Second, the police organization should be transformed into a horizontal organization with greater flexibility, fluency and individual innovation and initiative so that meaningful deliberations and negotiations can take place at all levels of the force. At the same time, efforts should be made to redefine the main areas of policing and to identify and separate the duties and functions that give officers at the lower levels of the police ample scope to adopt corrupt practices. Traffic policemen are often accused of corruption in filing false cases and imposing fines on drivers, especially two-wheelers, taxis, rickshaws, etc. The function of traffic management can be separated from the police department and a special traffic management department can be formed with extensive changes in the existing rules and regulations. Similarly, the police can also be kept away from other duties like passport verification, enforcement of local laws like Excise Act etc.
16. Delay is considered one of the major causes of corruption. The Santhanam Committee found that administrative delays are one of the major causes of corruption and are, often, deliberately delayed in order to obtain some kind of illicit benefit. “Speed money” has been reported to have become a common type of corrupt practice, especially in matters relating to the granting of licences, permits, etc. Police organization is no exception to this general trend. For example, in many police stations, filing a complaint, especially by a poor or underprivileged person, has become a major problem. In such cases, the complainant will be taken into consideration only if he pays bribe. Another disturbing trend is improper or delayed investigations in respect of major crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, etc. This will not only destroy important clues and evidence, but will also lead to acquittals in a large number of cases. Innovative schemes such as encouraging registration of maximum cases, departmental action against officials encouraging “burking” or awarding of special awards or medals to personnel investigating maximum cases with convictions in court will be helpful in improving the overall functioning of the police. For example, the Punjab Police, which had implemented such a system in Patiala district, could achieve spectacular results with regard to free registration of cases and their prompt investigation.18 The total number of cases in the district, which was 2,978 in 1988, increased to 5,752 in 1999.
Another notable achievement was the greater involvement of constables and head constables in investigation/interrogation operations under the close supervision and supervision of sub-divisional police officers. The empowerment of police constables, who account for more than 80 per cent of the total force, will help improve their motivation and productivity levels.
17. The police leadership should take concrete steps to end corruption in the police force. The cleaning process should start from the top level, which is not only honest, but also ensures honesty at the bottom level. In a disciplined organization like the police, senior officers have the basic responsibility of curbing corruption. In the present scenario, they should do this work seriously. They should ensure the active operation of internal vigilance mechanisms that can take account of preventive vigilance to a greater extent. In this context, it is important to replicate the already existing statutory guidelines and issue new guidelines where necessary. These guidelines should be practical and sacred. Self-regulatory mechanisms, which have become dysfunctional, should be strengthened by successfully identifying and updating them. Another concept, which needs to be considered, is to give an ordered scale of punishment based on the status of the policeman found involved in corruption. Some State police organizations have already introduced prevailing mechanisms in this regard. For example, Kerala Police has recently taken steps to link the transfer and appointment of personnel with their attitude, behaviour and professionalism.
Adverse features like involvement in corruption, rude and indecent behavior towards the public etc. will be included in the annual performance appraisal of the personnel, which will be the main criteria during appointment/transfer etc. There are also plans to set up a Police Review Board comprising members from outside the police with the aim of objectively assessing the professionalism of personnel and taking corrective measures to further improve the police.
18. There is a misconception among some sections that effective anti-corruption campaigns will demoralize personnel and adversely affect the image of the police. But, the reality is that prompt action against corrupt personnel will have a positive deterrent effect. The ‘counterweight’ to the folklore of corruption lies in such drastic action to end corruption at all levels. It will also help to prevent conscious efforts being made by organized groups or critics of the police to mythologize corruption, which is intended to discredit and discourage the police. Police chiefs should take the initiative to demolish the walls of the “culture of secrecy” in the police force without affecting the investigation and subsequent judicial proceedings. In fact, the “mouth off” and “no comment” policy of the police organization has been misused by the media and public for “criticism of the police”.
19. The National Police Commission examined these issues in detail and made several recommendations to harmonize relations between the police and the media. The Commission had strongly advocated the sharing of as much information as possible with the media (by the police) so as to effectively curb the tendency of the media to present exaggerated stories on every omission of the police. The Commission had also suggested that District Superintendents of Police (DSPs) should be empowered to contact the press directly, while police stations should be allowed to submit regular statistics, such as number of cases registered, arrests made, etc. In the present scenario, the police hierarchy should endeavor to protect well the interests of both the police and the public by understanding the role and responsibilities of both the police and the media, which are ultimately served by both. Efforts should be made simultaneously to bring the police closer to the public. Public talks, seminars, symposia and workshops on various aspects of police administration will be helpful in presenting the real image of the police with greater transparency.
Such programmes should involve reputable local non-governmental organizations and community contact groups. These should be used as effective vehicles to sensitize the general public about various aspects of police functioning and their constraints. In this context the concept of community policing (CP) becomes relevant. Since this concept is essentially a philosophy of client-oriented effectiveness of police by focusing on problem-solving, citizens’ experiences and perceptions on policing issues such as corruption should be properly assessed when formulating long-term strategies and planning as a part of problem-oriented policing Such a proactive decentralization approach with active participation of citizens at the grass-roots level would act as a major deterrent against corruption and other distortions in police organization.
20. Corruption seems to have become a part of life in the country. Although the amount of corruption in the police is not as high as in other departments, it is still quite wide in scope and has far more serious consequences. The cancer of corruption in the police often threatens the constitutional governance system and acts as a catalyst for violation of civil and human rights of citizens. The bribe giver is often in distress and the ability of police personnel to abuse their rights and discretion to take bribes, leads to the widespread dissemination of the image of the police as the most corrupt organ of the State. The lack of coherence between the empirical existential reality of the police and its cognitive perceptions in the public mind also contributes to the creation of such an image, which is largely the result of hearsay and media-created stories.
A police force with a corrupt and partisan image is bound to create negative feelings in the public and cannot effectively enforce the role of law in a democratic system. Thus, the principal task of the police in the new millennium is to enhance its image, for which reforms at the organizational and personnel levels are imperative. To combat corruption in the police and organized attempts to mythologize it, several innovative mechanisms focused on behavior change of police personnel, especially the police force, and proactive plans to harmonize relations between the police and the public/media are of utmost importance. Are. The success of these programmes depends on the attitudes of police managers, who have substantial powers in the police organization.
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