In the aftermath of the infamous July 23, 2009 incident at which a pregnant lady identified as Thokchom Rabina and another person Chungkham Sanjit was allegedly killed in encountered by Manipur state police personnel in broad daylight at crowded Khwairamband Keithel her in Imphal, the matter was handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following public uproar. Even as the court is yet to deliver its verdict regarding the matter almost every person not only in from the state of Manipur but from across the nation knows stories about the killing. This write up is not about the case or any such encountered killing related incident but a question asked by a lady IPS officer that I was a journalist still confuse to find the why.
It was a casual conversation after I gave a statement in favour of one of my staff as a procedural measure for their investigation.
Being an IPS officer, holding a responsible post, the lady knows something of everything about the Manipuri society even though she came to the state as a part of the CBI team to investigate the July 23, 2009 encounter incident.
“Personnel of the civil police is all human who simply picks the job out of passion if an action of a police personnel is felt injustice, why all the police force should support that very police personnel”, this was the question she asked me and I failed to give a reasonable reply, even though there were many answer base on certain theories.
Recently, an Assam Rifles personnel was caught red-handed along with with the huge quantity of contraband WY tablets in a costly car. He is right at the moment under the custody of Manipur Police. When asked regarding this matter to the PRO Assam Rifles the answer was that he will let know the media on what action will be taken up against him.
Some days back, a lady IPS officer reported about harassment and humiliation by Assam Rifles personnel at Khudengthabi Post while returning from Moreh. Assam Rifles’ authority instead of investigating the matter and award punishment for disrespecting the lady officer released a statement that supports the action of the AR personnel whom the lady IPS officer alleged to have harassed her and her team. Later the IPS association stands by the side and the matter even though is not coming out at the public domain, the matter seems floating still.
Now the same question comes to my mind. Why government employee/s, no matter they are in the security or civil service, stand by the side of the employee/s if work in the same department.
Recently, Family Court had banned a marriage ceremony of an MPS officer after a woman who eloped and was reportedly set an arrangement for marriage filed a petition. The court banned the marriage and, logically, the person (MPS) officer is guilty and perhaps under section 494 and 495 of the Indian Penal Code, he is liable a serious penalty, yet no report of any action being taken up against him by the government has been heard.
Something seems to be seriously wrong with the system running the country.
