The scenario in Maharashtra where the Opposition is demanding a probe into police transfers is unfolding as an open war between the administrative and political wings.
The crime-politico thriller is spinning wild with its plot lines going berserk. One cannot forget the charges made by IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt on Gujarat lawmakers which reveals how corrupt they were and how they had been using the police force for illegalities.
The Police Establishment Board was aimed to break the politician-policeman nexus but the reality is that political interference has made it virtually defunct.
The politicisation of the police force threatens democracy because it cannot uphold the rule of law due to political interference.
Transfers are made for whimsical reasons which has not only demoralising effect on the police force but is also alien to the system of rule of law as envisaged under the Constitution.
The police should be an instrument of good governance and provide foundation for the criminal justice system. But alas it remains a mirage as long as the police-politician nexus remains entrenched and society is unable to break this unholy bond.
