JUSTICE AND PEACE

the POLICE DEPARTMENT.

POLICE.

THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF POLICE are prevention and detection of crime, maintenance of law and order, apprehension of offenders, escorting and guarding of prisoners, treasure or private or public property of which they may be placed in charge, and prosecution of criminals. They have, however, various other duties to perform, such as control of traffic, serving of summonses and warrants in criminal cases, destruction of stray dogs, inspection of explosives and poison shops and extinguishing fires. Among their other miscellaneous duties are giving aid to displaced persons and pilgrims, verification of character, making passports and naturalisation enquiries etc.

Organisation.

Under section 4 of the Bombay Police Act (XXII of 1951) superintendence of the police force throughout the State vests in and is exercisable by the State Government. In exercise of powers under section 6 of the said Act, the State Government appoints an Inspector-General of Police for the direction and supervision of the police force. He is thus the head of the police force with his headquarters at Bombay. It is within his jurisdiction to exercise control over recruitment, education, housing and equipment of the police force and to regulate its internal organisation and method of its working. He is assisted in his office by two Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (officers of the rank of District Superintendent of Police).

For the purpose of administration, Maharashtra State has been divided into four police ranges besides Greater Bombay, each in charge of a Deputy Inspector-General. They correspond with the four divisions for which divisional officers have been appointed. In Greater Bombay, the Commissioner of Police, who is second in the police hierarchy, is in charge of the city police force. The State C. I. D. is under the control of an officer of the rank of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police. Similarly the State Reserve Police Force Groups and Police Training Schools are in charge of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police at the Headquarters. Each Range in the State is divided into districts, each corresponding with the revenue district and is in charge of a District Superintendent of Police. Under section 17 (1) of the Bombay Police Act, the District Magistrate has control over the District Superintendent of Police and the police force of a district and decides questions of policy and of administration of law within the district. However he does not interfere in the questions of recruitment, internal economy or organisation of the district force.

Regular Duties.

The District Superintendent of Police, Ratnagiri, is the executive head of the police force in the district. His primary duties are to keep the force under his control properly trained, efficient and contented and to ensure by constant supervision that prevention, investigation and detection of crime in his district are properly and efficiently dealt with by the force.

Each district is divided into sub-divisions, which number from two to three in a district. Each sub-division is in charge of an officer of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police or Deputy Superintendent of Police who is responsible for all matters pertaining to crime in the area under his charge. Under the general orders of the Superintendent, he is responsible for the efficiency and discipline of the officers and men in his division. He has to hold detailed inspections of police stations and out-posts in his charge at regular intervals.

Each sub-division has one or more inspectors, who are engaged in the detection of crime and supervision of bad characters and gangs in their circles. They are also utilised for supervising and co-ordinating crime work of different police stations in their circles.

At district headquarters, the District Superintendent is assisted by an Inspector who is termed as Home Inspector. In his capacity as Personal Assistant to the District Superintendent, he supervises the work of the District Superintendent's office and at headquarters during the absence of the Superintendent and the Sub-divisional Officer. He also does all the routine work at the headquarters for the District Superintendent of Police. Besides, there are inspectors for local intelligence and local crime branches in bigger districts.

Each district is divided into a number of police stations. A Sub-Inspector of police is in-charge of a police station and he is responsible for prevention and detection of crime and for executing orders of his superiors and maintaining discipline among the police force under him. He has head constables and constables as his subordinates. The head constables are to report to the Sub-Inspector the occurrence of all crimes in their beats and to assist him in investigation and detection of crime. When in-charge of a particular post or circle of villages, the head constable acts in all police matters in close collaboration with the heads of the village police. When attached to the police station, he holds charge in the absence of the Sub-Inspector and looks to all routine work including investigation of crime. The constables perform such duties as ordered by the head constables and superior police officers.

With a view to eradicating the evil of corruption and for a more effective implementation of the prohibition policy of Government, the Anti-Corruption and Prohibition Intelligence Force has been created under the control of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Anti-Corruption and Prohibition Intelligence, designated as Director, Anti-corruption and Prohibition Intelligence Bureau, Maharashtra State, Bombay. In every district at least one Sub-Inspector of police attached to this force is stationed. Corresponding to the four ranges in the mofussil, there are four units of this force with headquarters at Bombay, Poona, Aurangabad and Nagpur, each in-charge of a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Ratnagiri district is divided into two sub-divisions, northern and southern. The northern division is under direct control of the District Superintendent of Police, while the southern division is in-charge of a sub-divisional police officer. In addition to the police headquarters at Ratnagiri, there are in all 16 police stations and 27 outposts in the district. Out of the former, 11 are taluka police stations, four mahal police stations and one sub-police station.

Strength.

The original strength of the district police was 940 in 1948 before the merger of Sawantwadi State. In 1958, the composition of the force was as follows:-

That is 25 Officers and 979 men; including a few temporary officers and men the total strength was 32 Officers and 1,116 men.

In addition there is a civil mechanic for the motor transport section and one radio mechanic, one head wireless operator and two wireless operators for the state wireless station at Ratnagiri. There are also four launch drivers, two unqualified drivers, two tandels and eight khalashis on the motor launches for detection of prohibition work and checking smuggling on the border.

The expenditure on the establishment in the district for 1958-59 was Rs. 16,37,590. The ratio of the police to the area and population worked out to one policeman to 4.29 square miles and 1,464 persons.

Recruitment.

Recruitment to the cadre of Assistant Superintendents of Police who belong to the Indian Police Service is made by the Government of India on the recommendation of the Union Public Service Commission. On their appointment to the service they are attached to the Central Police Training College, Mount Abu, for training for a period of one year and after successful completion of training they are sent to the States concerned for undergoing further training. In Maharashtra State, the probationers are attached to districts for practical training for 5½ months and at the Police Training School, Nasik for 4½ months before they are appointed to hold independent charge as Sub-Divisional Police Officers. An Assistant Superintendent of Police is considered eligible for promotion to a senior post in the Indian Police Service cadre after completion of four years' service from the date of joining the State service.

Seventy per cent. of the total number of appointments on the sanctioned cadre of Deputy Superintendents of Police are filled in by promotion from the lower ranks of the district police force and the remaining 30 per cent. by direct recruitment which is made by the State Government or candidates recommended by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. Candidates appointed by direct recruitment are attached to the Police Training School, Nasik, for training and are kept on probation for a period of three years. During the first two years of their probationary period, they are required to pass a departmental examination prescribed by Government, after which they are required to undergo practical training in the districts for a period of one year. They are considered for promotion to Indian Police Service cadre after they put in eight years service as Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Appointments of inspectors of police are made by the Inspector-General of Police from amongst the Sub-Inspectors of police who are found fit for promotion. No direct recruitment is ordinarily made.

Recruitment of Sub-Inspectors is made by the Inspector-General of Police, both by promotion of officers from the lower ranks of the district police force and by direct recruitment. Fifty per cent. of the vacancies are filled in by direct recruitment. Of the remaining 50 per cent., 25 per cent. of the vacancies are filled in by departmental candidates passing the police Sub-Inspector's course at the Central Police Training School, Nasik, and the remaining 25 per cent. by promotion of officers from lower ranks who pass the departmental examination qualifying for the post of Sub-Inspectors.

Candidates for direct recruitment may be either from outside the police or from the police department. These candidates are, in the first instance, selected for training in the Police Training School, Nasik, as Police Sub-Inspectors. The selection is made by the Inspector-General of Police assisted by a committee constituted of the Commissioner of Police, Bombay, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police and the Principal, Central Police Training School, Nasik.

Police constables are recruited directly, and head constables generally from the ranks of constables. However, to attract better men, recruitment of head constables is made direct from qualified candidates upto one-third of the vacancies.

Literacy.

Among the officers and men in the Ratnagiri district none was illiterate in 1958.

Equipment.

The district had (in 1958) a fleet of eight motor vehicles, including one vehicle allotted for prohibition work.

The wireless grid had a static wireless station with three receivers and two transmitters. In addition to the above, there were eight wireless stations installed at taluka places with trans-receivers.

The whole strength of armed police was provided with.410 muskets and the rifle squad with .303 rifles.

State Reserve constabulary.

With a view to provide the armed force which may be required at any place in the State to deal with any disturbance or emergency, the State Reserve Police, trained more or less on military lines and equipped with modern weapons, has been organised and stationed in groups at important centres in the State, each group being under the control of a commandant of the rank of Superintendent of Police assisted by the necessary staff of officers of different ranks. The groups are provided with wireless sets and motor transport.

Figures of crime.

In 1958, the following were the figures of crime in the Ratnagiri district:―

The following figures represented the variations in crime during the quinquennium 1954-58.

Real serious crimes, including (1) murders and cognate crime, (2) dacoities, (3) robberies, (4) house-breaking and thefts, (5) thefts including cattle thefts, (6) receiving stolen property, and (7) rioting varied as follows from 1949 to 1958:-

Incidence of cognizable crime per thousand persons varied as follows, during the years (1949-58):-

Prosecuting Staff and Prosecution.

In 1958, the prosecuting staff in the district consisted of six police prosecutors. The total number of cases conducted by the prosecuting staff in 1958, was 1,198 out of which 651 ended in conviction.

Housing.

Of the total strength of 1,116 policemen (permanent and temporary), 822 were housed in Government quarters. Of the 27 Sub-Inspectors, six were provided with Government quarters.

Hospital.

A small dispensary has been started at the headquarters during 1958. An Honorary lady doctor is in charge of this dispensary.

Welfare Work.

A grocery shop has been opened in 1954 and is being conducted under the management of the police co-operative credit society, for the benefit of policemen at the headquarters and in the town.

Village Police.

The district police is helped by the village police. Under the Bombay Village Police Act (VIII of 1867), the control of the village police is with the District Magistrate. He may, however, delegate any of his authority to the District Superintendent of Police. There are 1,553 villages in the district. Each village or group of villages has a police patil. It is the duty of the police patil to maintain law and order in the village. He is also required to collect information regarding suspicious strangers and send it to the police station. He has to keep a strict watch over the movements of bad characters under surveillance of the police. He is to give information to the police station of any offence committed in the village. When the patrolling policeman goes to the village, he has to submit a report about all the happenings in the village. It is the duty of the police patil to render assistance to any sick traveller.

Home Guards.

The Home Guards is a voluntary body organised under the Bombay Home Guards Act, III of 1947, and is intended to supplement the ordinary police force in relation to the protection of person, security of property and public safety and such other services to the public as they may be called upon to perform. It is essentially a civilian body but is nevertheless bound by discipline of a standard equal to that of any military organisation. The district unit of the home guards organisation consists of a Commandant and several subordinate officers in command of divisions, companies, platoons, sections, etc. Appointments of home guards are made by the District Commandant from amongst the persons who are fit and willing to serve as home guards, and appointments of officers are made after a period of service in the ranks on consideration of merit. Home guards receive initial training in subjects like lathi training, weapon training, control of traffic, prohibition and excise laws, first-aid, mob fighting, guard and escort drill etc. A home guard gets the powers and privileges and discharges the obligations of a home guard under the Home Guards Act and the rules made thereunder only when called out for duty under the orders of the District Superintendent of Police. At other times, he is on the same footing as an ordinary citizen. When he is called out to aid the police, he gets duty allowance of not less than Rs. 2 and not more than Rs. 3 per day, as determined by the Commandant.

The Ratnagiri District Home Guards Unit was started in 1947. The organisation in the district (1958) consisted of a district commandant, second-in-command, district quarter master, staff officer, accounts staff officer and training officer. Home guards centres have been opened at the following 12 places in the district, each under an officer commanding (1) Dapoli, (2) Khed, (3) Chiplun, (4) Guhagar, (5) Deorukh, (6) Kankavli, (7) Ratnagiri, (8) Rajapur, (9) Malvan, (10) Vengurla, (11) Deogad, and (12) Sawant-wadi.

The total strength of home guard was 357 in 1958.

A separate unit of women home guards is functioning at Ratnagiri and its present strength is 36. Of these 12 have been trained in the use of fire-arms and other weapons.

village Defence Parties.

With a view to providing an opportunity to villagers to cultivate among themselves and also towards their villages a sense of civic duty, an organisation known as "village defence party" has been formed. These parties are very useful for the defence of villages against depredations of dacoits and other types of criminals. It is a body of public spirited and able-bodied villagers between the ages of 20 and 50 who voluntarily enroll themselves as members of the party.

For each district there is a police officer of the rank of Sub-Inspector for the supervision of the village defence parties in the district and is designated as the village defence officer. He is assisted by a joint village defence officer, who is a citizen willing to work in an honorary capacity under the village defence officer. There is one assistant village defence officer of the rank of a head constable and one joint assistant village defence officer selected from the public for each taluka. Under these taluka officers there is a kotwal for each village organisation. The kotwal is a villager appointed by the District Superintendent of Police on the recommendation of the assistant village defence officer. He is in charge of the village defence party, the men in the party being recommended by the kotwal and other officers in order to become eligible for joining it. Joint village defence officer and joint assistant village defence officer get permanent travelling allowance at a rate of Rs. 35 and Rs. 22.75 nPs. per month respectively.

The whole defence organisation in the district is subordinate to the District Superintendent of Police, who, in turn, is under the control of the District Magistrate.

In order to create confidence among the members of the village defence parties, a few selected villagers are given arms licences.

Members of the village defence parties are trained together at a given place with such weapons including sticks etc. as they possess, to defend themselves in the best manner they can, under the guidance and leadership of the village kotwal.

In order that there should be some men who can handle fire-arms in an emergency, the District Superintendent of Police arranges to train in musketry, a few men selected by the village defence officer from each village defence party.

The village defence parties are intended merely for self-defence and do not possess any of the powers of police officers. Every act performed by any member of the party must be such as can be justified by the principles of the right of private defence of person and property as laid down in the Indian Penal Code. No act, therefore, of a member of a village defence party which is not justified by that right is condoned merely because such person happens to be a member of a village defence party organised or working under the supervision of the police.

In Ratnagiri district upto the end of 1958, village defence parties were formed in 1,357 villages and the strength was of 26,451 members.

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