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India Covid: Police chief conducts surprise visits in disguise; 'insensitive' cops to face action

Pune - The police chief was out at night in disguise, interacting with officials at different police stations and to monitor how they respond to ordinary citizens.

Jamal Kamal Khan and his wife went to the Pimpri police station after midnight on Thursday and complained that an ambulance service had demanded Rs5,000 for taking an ailing neighbour to a hospital for Covid treatment. But the police on duty were not bothered and asked them to go another police station three km away.

However, they did not realise who the ‘bearded’ Jamal Khan, wearing a kurta and jeans, and a cap over a wig, and his ‘wife’ were. They were Krishna Prakash, the police commissioner of Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Prerna Katte, the assistant police commissioner. And they were out at night in disguise, interacting with officials at different police stations and to monitor how they respond to ordinary citizens.

“Instead of noting down the complaint, the Pimpri police asked the couple to go to the police chowk in the dead of the night,” Prakash told the media later. “This was not proper behaviour. They were not sensitive towards the complainants.”

He has also sought an explanation from Pimpri police for locking up nine persons in one small unit, violating social distancing norms and Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. “Based on their explanation, we will decide what disciplinary action should be taken against the police personnel at Pimpri police station,” he added.

But fortunately, some police officials were prompt in their response. When Prakash went to the Hinjewadi police station and complained that anti-social elements harassed him and his wife and beat him up while returning after offering ‘namaaz,’ the police immediately rushed to the spot where the alleged incident took place.

Prakash had also heard that some youngsters were bursting crackers in at the area at night, so when the policemen went there, they found them and immediately nabbed them. The two top officials then revealed their identity to the Hinjewadi police officials.

Similarly, at another police station, when he complained that a biker had snatched a woman’s chain, the officer also rushed to the scene. He then told the ‘couple’ to return home as it was not good to be out at that time during the pandemic. He also offered a police vehicle to take them home.