Geetanjali Krishna: Policing the watchdogs

They wield the Stick "" obviously the law is on their side," said one of the slum dwellers when he heard that a lawyer wanted to enlighten them about their rights vis-a-vis the police, in a meeting organised by Satark Nagarik Sangathan.

"I didn't know we'd any rights!" exclaimed another. A woman agreed, "it's law abiding people like us who have no rights. The police beat us at whim while the thieves get away scot-free!" Everyone laughed and sat down to listen to what the lawyer, Seema had to say.

Seema began by stressing the point that the police often specially ill-treat illiterate slum dwellers, assuming that they don't know the law.

"That is why being educated about how the police is supposed to act, can be of prime importance," said she. The first thing she said seemed obvious: no policeman can do anything without full papers of authority.

"They can neither forcibly take anyone for questioning, nor can they enter your homes, without warrants," she said. The audience reactions ranged from disbelief to anger. It was clear that the slum dwellers hadn't ever seen the policemen on their beat follow this rule.

"Growing up in a slum, one of the commonest sights is of a policeman, swaggering through the narrow lanes, stick in hand, threatening to destroy all the illegal constructions," said one bitterly.

The lawyer emphasised that the police had no authority to demolish slums, that was the MCD's job. At best, they are empowered to accompany the MCD, to prevent anticipated violence.

Another lady, Susheela, said, "two women in our slum quarrelled, and in the heat of the moment, one of them somehow managed to set herself alight in front of a crowd of onlookers. She died, and the police arrested the other woman for murder.

We went to the station to get her released, and told the station officer that we'd all witnessed the deceased setting herself on fire. He shooed us off, saying that the police had sentenced her to life imprisonment!"

Eventually, when Susheela gathered a crowd and the police realised that things could turn ugly, they let the woman go.

Seema said that the police had no authority to pronounce judgement on the woman. "Anyway, they could not have legally detained her as their station had no separate quarters for women," said she.

Another rule she told them was that the police are not supposed to interrogate or arrest any member of public unless they were in full uniform, with their nametags clearly visible. She also said that the police had no authority, under any circumstances, to use physical violence. This statement was met with utter incredulity from the audience.

"But our beat constable never talks to us without using his stick!" exclaimed one slum dweller. A woman said that the constable often hit women as well: "just yesterday, when my neighbour and I went late at night to use the toilet, he asked us what we were doing outside at that hour. We were too embarrassed to reply immediately, but had to, when he began raining blows on us."

Everybody in the audience seemed to have an experience or question to share on the subject, but Ashok's took the cake.

"When a neighbour's son was taken into custody in a robbery case, the police told his father that he was in 'remand'. And that, he was told, meant that the police could beat the accused as much as they liked!" Seema sighed, "our legal system is known internationally as being just and democratic "" but its upholders need to follow it first, before it can benefit people like them!"