LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE

POLICE DEPARTMENT

POLICE

Functions.

THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE POLICE are the prevention and the detection of crime, the maintenance of Law and Order, the apprehension of offenders, escorting and guarding of prisoners, treasure or private or public property of which they may be placed in charge and the prosecution of criminals. They have, however, various other duties to perform, such as control of traffic, censor- ship of plays and other performances, service of summonses and warrants in criminal cases, destruction of stray dogs, inspection of explosives and poison shops and extinguishing fires. Apart from these which are imposed upon them by law, other (miscellaneous) duties which fall upon Police department, such as giving aid to displaced persons and pilgrims, verification of character, passports and naturalisation inquiries, etc., are entrusted to them for administrative reasons.

Organisation.

Under section 4 of the Bombay Police Act (XXII of 1951) the 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 Act, the State Government appoints the Inspector General of Police for the direction and supervision of the Police Force. The Inspector General of Police in the State of Maharashtra is thus the head of the police force and his headquarters is at Bombay. It is the province of the Inspector General to watch over the recruitment, education, housing and equipment of the police force and to regulate the internal organisation and method of 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. [ Recently Police Commissioners have been appointed for Poona and Nagpur Cities.] These four ranges correspond with the four divisions for which Divisional Officers have been appointed. In Greater Bombay, the Commissioner of Police, who is second in the hierarchy, is in charge of the City Police Force. The State Criminal Investigation Department (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, 'Headquarters. Each range in the State which is in charge of a Deputy Inspector General 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 District Superintendent of Police and the police force of a district. He also decides the questions of policy and of the administration of law within the district; but he does not interfere in the questions of recruitment, internal economy or organisation of the district force which is the province of the Inspector General of Police.

For the purposes of Police administration, Sangli district is divided into two Sub-Divisions, viz., Miraj Sub-Division and Islam-pur Sub-Division, each in charge of a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Assistant Superintendent of Police or Deputy Superintendent of Police). The Miraj Sub-Division comprises 6 Police Stations and 9 Out-posts while the Islampur Sub-Division comprises 9 Police Stations and 12 Out-posts. The Sub-Divisional Officers are assisted in their work by an Inspector designated as Circle Police Inspector with headquarters at Miraj and Vita, respectively. One Police Inspector designated as Home Police Inspector supervises the work pertaining to criminal offences in Sangli City police station and acts as Personal Assistant to the District Superintendent of Police. For political and allied work, the district has an Intelligence Branch, called the Local Intelligence Branch which is in charge of a Sub-Inspector. The Crime Branch called the Local Crime Branch for the District is also in charge of a Sub-Inspector.

For recruitment and training of policemen, there is an officer called the Reserve Sub-Inspector, who is incharge of the headquarters. Arms, ammunition and other equipment are distributed from the district headquarters by the Reserve Sub-Inspector who works under the supervision of the Home Police Inspector.

Strength.

The total sanctioned strength of police officers and men towards the end of 1962 was as under: —

The total expenditure on the police force for 1962 was Rs. 18,91,105.

The sanctioned strength of the police works out to one policeman per 2.97 square miles and per 1,104 persons.

Expenditure Regular Duties.

The District Superintendent of Police is the executive head of the police force in the district. As such he is expected to keep the force under his control in proper trim and to ensure, by constant supervision, that the duty of prevention and detection of crime is properly performed by the force. He has to maintain intimate relations with the public with a view to making such changes as necessary from time to time. He has to tour extensively and inspect every police station and out-post in the district once a year. Sometimes he visits the scenes of serious offences like dacoity and murder, when organised gangs are suspected to be at work. He also visits scenes of other offences when a spate of crime is reported and gives suitable instructions to his subordinates to check it.

The Assistant Superintendent of Police or the Deputy Superintendent of Police i.e. officer-in-charge of Sub-Division is primarily responsible for all crime work in his charge. Under the general supervision of the District Superintendent of Police, he is responsible for the efficiency and discipline of the officers and men in his division and holds detailed inspections of the police stations and out-posts in his charge at regular intervals. He is assisted by one Sub-Divisional Police Inspector.

The Sub-Inspector of Police is the officer-in-charge of a police station. He is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime in his charge. He is assisted by a number of Head Constables and Constables. In the absence of the Sub-Inspector, the Head Constable holds charge of the police station as the Police Station Officer and looks to all routine work including investigation of crime. Constables perform such duties as may be ordered by Head Constables and their superior officers.

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 recommendations of the Union Public Service Commission. On their appointment to the service they are attached to the Central Police Training College, Mount Abu, for a period of one year and after successful completion of the training they are sent to the States concerned for undergoing further training. In this State, the probationers are attached to district for practical training for five and a half months and at the Police Training School, Nasik, for four and a half months before they are appointed to hold independent charges of 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.

Of the total number of appointments of police on the sanctioned cadre of Deputy Superintendents of Police 70 per cent are filled in by promotion from the lower ranks of the District Police Force and remaining 30 per cent by direct recruitment which is made by the State Government from 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 departmental examination prescribed by the Government. After passing the prescribed examination while at the Police Training School, they are required to undergo practical training in 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 Superintendents of Police.

Appointments of Inspectors of Police are made by 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, 50 per cent of the vacancies being 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.

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 of the Commissioner of Police, Bombay, a Deputy Inspector General of Police and the Principal, Central Police Training School, Nasik.

The Police Constables are recruited directly and the Head Constables generally from the ranks of Constables. However, to attract better men, recruitment of Head Constables is made direct from qualified candidates up to one-third of the vacancies.

Armed and Unarmed Police.

There are two sections of the police force viz., armed and unarmed. In 1962 the armed section consisted of 113 Head Constables and 461 Constables. The armed force is mainly allotted the duties of guarding jails and lock-ups and escorting prisoners and treasures. The unarmed section consisted of 128 Head Constables and 433 constables. The unarmed police are drilled to give them an upright and manly bearing and to enable them to turn, march and salute smartly and correctly and to instil discipline in them. They are taught squad drill, drill with and without arms, rifle and firing exercises, bayonet fighting, riot drill, dacoit operations, guard and sentry duty, skirmishing, ceremonial drill, etc.

All the officers and men in the police force of the district are literate and they possess the necessary educational qualifications.

There is a static wireless station at Sangli city police station. The station is manned by one head wireless operator and two wireless operators.

Prohibition Staff.

The staff consisting of the Sub-Inspector, four unarmed Head Constables, 16 unarmed Police Constables, two armed Head Constables and six armed Police Constables is detailed for the prohibition work in the district.

Incidence of Crime.

The total number of cases of crime reported to the police during the years 1960 to 1962 is given below:—

Serious crime including murders, attempts, at murders, culpable homicide, dacoities, robberies, house-breaking and thefts, riots and grievous hurts varied as under: —

The average crime under classes I to V for the last three years in this district comes to 920. The average crime under classes I to V per lakh of population during the last three years works out to 74.8.

The crime figures reported under Prohibition Act during 1960—62 were as under: —

Out of 2,459 cases, 2,384 pertained to liquor and 75 to dope. The number of cases decided during the year 1962 was 416. Of the decided cases, 410 pertained to liquor and six to dope. Of these cases, convictions were recorded in 356 cases and 60 were acquitted or discharged. The number of persons convicted during the year was 45.67 per 100,000 of population. Of the 537 persons convicted in the year 1962, 531 were for liquor and six were for dope. No juvenile offender was convicted during the year 1962.

The average crime under the head 'prohibition' for 1960—62 in Sangli district comes to 2.359.7. The average crime under the head 'prohibition' per lakh of population for the period in the district works out to 1,919.

Prosecuting Staff.

In 1962 there were nine Police Prosecutors in the district.

The total number of cases conducted by the prosecutors during the year 1962 was 2.774. Of these, 1,983 cases ended in conviction, 395 acquitted or discharged, 130 compounded, 24 withdrawn, 65 committed to sessions and 177 were pending trial. The percentage of conviction to cases decided works out to 49.82.

Besides these prosecutors, the executive staff conducted 661 chapter cases of which 387 ended in conviction,147 in acquittal or discharged and 32 were compounded and 95 were pending trial.

Housing

Government quarters have been provided in the district to nine officers and 394 men as against 29 officers and 1,115 men.

Village Police.

The village police organisation is constituted under the Bombay Village Police Act (VIII of 1867). The administration of the village police is vested in the District Magistrate who may delegate the execution of any provisions of the Act to an Assistant or Deputy Collector, being a Magistrate of the first class.

There are 534 villages in the district. Each village or group of villages, has a police patil. The police patil is required to collect information regarding suspicious looking strangers and has to send it to the police station. He has to keep a strict watch over the movements of bad characters under surveillance of the police. When patrolling policeman goes to the village, he has to give all the information he possesses about events in the village. It is the duty of the village police patil to maintain law and order in the village. He is assisted in his work by the village watchman.

Home Guards.

There is a Home Guards Unit in the district mainly to supplement the ordinary police force.

The Commandant General is in charge of the Home Guards organisation and under him are Commandants in each district who control the Home Guards in the district. The appointments of the District Commandants are made by the Government from the public and the posts are purely honorary carrying no remuneration. The organization is non-political and non-communal in character.

The Home Guards are trained in squad drill, lathi drill, use of arms, control of traffic, elementary law, mob-fighting, unarmed combat and guard and escort drill. They are also trained in first aid and fire-fighting. They are encouraged to take to social work. When called for duty they enjoy the same powers, privileges and protection as are enjoyed by an officer of the police force appointed under any Act for the time being in force. Their functions consist mainly of guarding public buildings, patrolling for the prevention of crime and assisting the police in their ordinary duties. They are issued uniforms and are paid duty allowance at prescribed rates whenever they are called out for duty.

Village Defence parties.

In 1962, out of 534 villages in the district, village defence parties had been formed in 527 villages with 101,325 persons enrolled as members. Licences to possess fire-arms had been granted to 1,059 of them. There were one honorary village defence officer and six honorary assistant village defence officers in the district, who were responsible for the organisation and promotion of the village defence parties in each village. The main functions of the village defence parties are to help the police in prevention and detection of crime. They have to perform night rounds and have to see that no breach of peace takes place.

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