Criminalistion of Police

2.  In the last three decades or so, different types of cases have been reported in
newspapers which indicate the criminalisation of police.
 This is found in three forms:
1) Policemen committing crimes themselves,
2) Policemen helping criminals in committing crimes and getting a share out of it,
3) Policemen resigning from the department and joining the militant groups engaged in
killing, looting and abduction, etc. In these three types, we have not included police
corruption which by itself is a crime.
 Robberies, extortions, kidnappings for ransom, and rapes of innocent women are some
of the crimes allegedly committed by men in uniform.

3. a. In June 1993, a constable of Delhi armed police
allegedly kidnapped and raped a 16-year-old girl. head
constable and two constables were arrested in one state.
b. In July 1994 for allegedly extracting Rs. 40,000 from two
youths after threatening to involve them in narcotic
offences.
c. In January 1996, four policemen were arrested in Delhi
for following four passengers from the airport and trying
to rob them of their gold and money.

4.  Reacting to the non-tracing of a kidnapped girl by the Delhi police, The Supreme
Court observed on February 12, 1994: “this court is determined to show to this
country what type of police force they are paying taxes for.
 If these police officers serve a sentence, then only they will learn lessons.” a Judge
of the Allahabad High Court a few years earlier had observed that “the police was
the most organised group of criminals”.
 Unlawful activity by a policeman has been described as a manifestation of personal
moral weakness, a symptom of personality defects, or the recruitment of
individuals unqualified for police work.

5. Some of the terms used to describe Police deviancy have
become popular.
 These are: mufatkhori (an act of receiving free ‘gifts’ like
liquor, cigarettes, groceries, etc. for possible future acts
of favouritism),
 Dadagiri (police demand for free admission to picture
houses and entertainment places,
 Shopping (picking up small items from shops without
payment),
 Vasooli (demanding money for advertisements in police
magazines or purchase of tickets to police functions),

6.  Bribery (payment of cash), and
 Harapna (appropriating expensive items for personal use).
 Amongst these activities, vasooli, bribery, shopping, and
harapna are all clearly unlawful but the manner in which
they are carried out contains a measure of safety to the
policeman, should his presence or behaviour be
questioned.