Who is running J&K Police in Poonch District? With many power centers, credibility of Police under question
SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)
POONCH: “Sharma ji, yeh Poonch Police ko kon chala raha hai ground mein. Pehli baar aisa lag raha hai ki Police ki ground presence strong nahi hai” said a 72 years old man while sipping a cup of Tea in a tea stall with his few old age friends. He said, “We are losing our youngsters due to wrong habits and accordingly, we need strong action from Police in curbing many social evils. Although, two persons were booked under PSA and 15 persons sent to judicial custody in drug related cases, but after a long time. Question is, Who is running J&K Police here?(Who is implementing decisions on ground?).” These debates are going on at various places in Poonch city, because during recent past, many youngsters died due to drugs as this menace of drug has reached to an alarming level and it has raised question mark on security agencies. Although, there were also reports of involvement of few security officials and few officials of civil administration when it comes to supporting Drug mafia. The credibility of Poonch Police as compared to Rajouri Police is low when it comes to dealing various issues professionally. An impression has generated in public that Poonch Police is having many power centers which mostly operate from DPO on big matters and few other places in small matters. Now body knows who is running Poonch Police as far as implementing decisions on the ground going by the saying that “One bad fish can spoil the whole pond”. Reportedly, there is a huge interference at subordinate levels(Police stations) in all the tehsils of Poonch district from these so called power centers whose main aim reportedly is to hit fiscal gains. Poonch Police remained blessed with top class officers who won public heart due to their policing in past. Never ever, people heard of many power centers in Police. The tenure of IPS officers in Poonch, which included L. Mohanty, S.D Singh Jamwal, Ashkoor Ahmed Wani, Mukesh Singh, Rajiv Pandey remained much performance oriented and people are still remembering them. Similarly many KPS officers like Amit Gupta, Mohan Sharma, Anwar-Ul-Haq, Nawaz Khandey and Shayeed Nayeem, during their stay at Poonch, impressed one and all with their performance against “Drug Terrorism” and other social evils in addition of implementing professional policing on ground. Former SSP Johar also recovered 55 kgs of Heroin during Police’s war against drugs. But, this is for the first time in the history of Poonch Police that credibility of Police is not so good in the eyes of a common man. Where as, in Rajouri District, SSP Yougal Manhas remained most successful professionally in curbing many evils including drugs and because of his policing, Yougal has won public hearts.
A renowned citizen of Poonch, pleading anonymity, said, “Poonch Police policy on tackling “Drug terrorism” needs more teeth. Traffic issues are huge, illegal parking is an increasing problem and people at the helm in the Police are either ignorant or deliberately silent for the reason best known to them.” On illegal parking near Poonch fort and illegal encroachments, Poonch Police is also silent. Poor professionalism while dealing with different issues and weak Police Pubic relations have brought the credibility of Poonch Police to a new low. Few tainted officials just to please their boss during morning hours, visit few areas and indulge in selective immature activities and this shows that they are arrogant and cannot perform their job purely on merit and that’s why choose immature means to show their existence on the ground. While few officers of Poonch Police are performing really good on the ground, but their efforts are reportedly being sidelined by their few seniors(power centers). There are also reports of brazen corruption being scripted by few power centers of Poonch Police with their forced interference at police stations level in all the tehsils of the district. The credibility of Poonch Police is not good in public eyes and more efforts are needed from those sitting at the helm of affairs for restoring people’s faith in Police, because J&K Police is country’s elite force and has a rich professional history. Showing ground existence with purely professional approach in dealing with various issues with better Police Public relations should be the primary goal of Poonch Police and not arrogant behaviour, which is spoiling its image badly in the eyes of common man. Public want performance on the ground and not hollow rhetoric and arrogance going by the saying “There are no poor regiments but poor colonels”. Considering the past history of Poonch and nearby coming challenging events, it would be better for Police high ups to place right man for the right job soon, else “The writing is on the wall”
