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`Complaint redress mechanism must for improving police image'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JAN. 23. The police image must be built up by putting in place a credible complaint redress mechanism, speakers said at a roundtable discussion on how to deal with complaints against the personnel.

Participating in the meeting organised by the Centre for Security Analysis here today, Laurence Lustgarten, Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in the United Kingdom, said it was a unique mechanism all set to become operational by April 1 this year.

He explained the composition of the Commission and said its success lay in creating a public opinion that it functioned freely and honestly. While dealing with complaints against police personnel, the panel would put all available evidence before the public even if it meant that the officials concerned or the force in general would be "unhappy."

Reiterating that the panel's role was primarily supervisory, Prof. Lustgarten said it aimed at expediting investigation by various agencies though the IPCC itself would not don the mantle of investigator.

C.V. Narasimhan, former Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, said the police image was at "rock-bottom," and attributed it to an impression that "they (police) are inclined to be brutal, partisan and openly influenceable by the political system."

Pointing out that the general public tended to keep away from the police, he said it would result in diminishing public cooperation.

At present the national security was under greater threat from internal subversive forces than external aggression. To tide over the situation, cooperation and flow of information from the public was necessary. The fundamental duty of the head of the department was to keep the department clean and effective, he said.

Justice S. Thangaraj, acting chairman, State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), differentiating between the IPCC and the SHRC, said the rights body had neither obstruction nor jurisdiction. "Any complaint, concerning infringement of rights, brought before us within a year can be heard by us."

M.K. Narayanan, vice-president of the centre, participated.

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