I just
read in the papers about the press conference organised by Delhi Police wherein
the police commissioner informed the media how police cases under friendly
registration had doubled in 2014. The graph showed a jump in crime registration
figures from 54,287 in 2012 to 73,902 in 2013 to 1.47 lakh in 2014. In a way,
more than 100% increase in registration of crime.
Remember,
how in the Delhi rape case of December 2012, the complaint was being shuttled
from one police station to another, late in the evening, claiming jurisdiction
issues. Had the police station in south Delhi responded to the complaint by the
informant at that time, the gruesome crime of rape that happened subsequently
could have been averted.
The
exposure of these fault lines led to a national outcry. And wholesale
instructions were given for zero tolerance for such callous responses. This
meant willing registration of crimes of all kinds, and certainly of complaints
by women. Campaigns by the media and all others, whoever could, exhorted women
to report if they wanted criminals to be punished.
But
this social need led to opening up of the hitherto indifferent police station
to registration. Remember, changes in law also happened through the Justice
Verma Committee where non-registration of crimes became a cognizable offence.
Now, any duty officer reluctant to register crime ran the risk of getting caught
and departmentally dealt with.
Earlier,
it was almost the opposite. I recall the days when a particular police officer
dared make the registration of cases free, and the crime figure soared. He was
hauled up and considered foolish or inept as he did not know how to manage
crime.
Earlier
days were all about management of crime. When registration of robberies or
heinous crimes was recorded, many of us were made to feel as if we had
committed the crime. We went sleepless, both to prevent in real terms, or hide
it to the maximum extent, or work it out even by falsely implicating innocents,
to show it was worked out.
CHANGING TIMES
Today,
the capital of India has changed. It’s accepting high figures of crime
registration and looking at it with the right interpretation as the need for
more prevention, better detection, more arrests and effective punishments.
What
about other cities and states? Are they reflecting the actual crime figures?
How does one know? Who assesses it? Do we have any surveys, statewide or districtwise?
When universities and law schools can get involved?
If we
really want to bring crime under check, we will have to truly assess the extent
and patterns of crime going unreported and involve research and educational
institutes in doing so. Then alone will we be able to truly assess our real
shortages in policing and criminal justice systems.
How
much can be financially provided for and how much of its deficit will have to
come from community resources will get known. We may be able to identify many
under-utilised segments, which can be co-opted and energised.
TIME TO TELL TRUTH
But
it’s time to tell the truth about the real crime scene. After six decades of
policing, the capital city has just begun to reveal. It’s still a beginning. A
lot is still hidden in PCR calls and messages received otherwise by use of
technology. Mapping them all along with actual FIR registration will give an
idea of the crime scene. Maybe the home ministry could issue some guidelines on
a more holistic, annual analysis, if not already done. Let us expect a more
comprehensive analysis in future, but the wall of non-registration has been
broken by Delhi Police.
