The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered the suspension of Deputy Inspector General of Police (IPS) A Koan a week after misbehaving with a woman at a nightclub in Baga. The MHA has directed Koan not to leave the Goa headquarters until the Competent Authority approves. The DIG was accused of forcefully holding a woman's hand at the nightclub and making objectionable gestures. The lady subsequently reacted by slapping the DIG in full public view.
There are no surprises over the suspension of the DIG, and everyone saw it coming. The question that weighs on the mind is whether the suspension alone will bring closure to the case and help the bosses overcome the embarrassment of this incident.
High-ranking police officers have the notoriety of visiting nightclubs and party joints and throwing their weight around. A senior police officer has been accused of misusing his stature by consuming high-end imported whiskies for free at five-star resorts. There are reports of police officers using their high office for personal gain and even accommodating their families.
In 2013, the then IGP Sanjay Singh was accused of attending late-night parties with photos going viral of his 'foreigner friend' even driving his official car. Singh stoked controversy when he was accused of not addressing a shooting incident at a shack in Morjim but chose to continue partying in the vicinity. There has been a veil of secrecy over the vigilance probe that was initiated later. Another IGP, Rajesh Kumar, was honey-trapped and accused of extorting to meet a woman's demands. Kumar was subsequently transferred but managed to get away without any action.
The current suspension of the DIG may ring an alarm bell but will not set a deterrent. Cases such as these have been taken to their logical conclusion. In most cases, errant officers, some with even more extensive criminal records, have been reinstated over time, and their accusations have been wiped off. Call it political power play or sheer reluctance of the department/ministry to probe its senior officers; their unlawful conduct has been hidden from scrutiny.
So when there was a chorus to sack such 'partying' officers and send them home, there were compelling reasons behind that demand. The chief minister's swift intervention and the MHA order on Koan are welcome, but that does not change much. Goa is a tourism State with a varied mix on its platter, and police officers, especially those deputed from outside the State, are bound to exploit situations. Believing that the Baga incident is one of its kind shows vacuity or a cover-up. Let us remind the DGP that another officer was bashed up for misbehaving at another party joint some five months back. The only difference then was that no videos were in the public domain.
It is time the chief minister reviews the conduct of high-ranking officers from the Police Officer level and tightens the nuts and bolts in the system. There must be a time-bound inquiry on law-breakers, and those officers who bring the entire force into disrepute must face the law. Suspensions have proved to be an eyewash so far.
