Misplaced priorities: Guj cops under fire for party culture

Last week, Rander police station, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Surat Police Commissioner’s office, was the venue for a farewell party for Inspector Atul Sonara, one of 41 officers to recently receive transfer orders. 

One might argue that a farewell party is a great way to acknowledge colleagues who are moving away, before you inevitably lose contact with them. However, Sonara has just moved to the special operation group. He would still be in Surat, and still under the Surat Commissionerate. 

The party in the thana was followed by an event at a private hotel. A video of a dance from the latter was widely shared on social media, where it drew sharp public criticism. Detractors—understandably—questioned the police’s dedication to their jobs amid such festivities. 

After all, just last month, a special CBI court closed the unsolved murder of Rashmi Bhave, whose throat had been slashed in broad daylight. The court cited a lack of any substantial evidence despite an 11-year inquiry. Nine of the 10 investigating officers were from the Gujarat police.

As previously reported by Gujarat Samachar Digital, the state saw a whopping 950 murders in 2022. Forty-two of these remain unsolved.  

Data from the National Crime Record Bureau puts the crime rate in Ahmedabad at 96.6, and that of Surat at 64.3, placing them at the fifth and third worst-hit in terms of crime, respectively. For context, New Delhi is the crime capital with a crime rate of 150.6 with Chennai coming in second at 101.6. Mumbai, at 73.3, is sandwiched between Ahmedabad and Surat. The crime rate is calculated as major crimes per one lakh of population.

At a time of such ignominy, perhaps the Gujarat police should take a cue from their counterparts in Maharashtra, where DGP Rashmi Shukla has banned farewell ceremonies.

The logic of the DGP’s circular is sound. Repeated farewells for colleagues in an inherently transferable job, especially with song and dance while in uniform, may be seen as inane showboating. Plus, such antics make officers the butt of jokes, or gossip. The circular also adds that officials who do their jobs properly do not need such praise or attention as people will always appreciate them. It also calls for senior officers to take action against errant juniors. 

If Gujarat were to take a leaf out of DGP Shukla's book, police personnel could focus more on maintaining law and order. It would also help restore public confidence if the police presented a more professional image. Further, discouraging such public displays could help to maintain the necessary professional distance between the police and local political figures, ensuring more impartial law enforcement.

However, if senior officers are seen engaging in such behaviour, who can be expected to curb this party culture? Or, as they say, who watches the watchers?