LAW, ORDER AND JUSTICE

the POLICE DEPARTMENT

Functions.

THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE POLICE are the prevention and 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, service of summonses and warrants in criminal cases, inspection of explosive and poison shops and extinguishing fires and others such as giving aid to displaced persons and pilgrims, verification of character, passports and naturalisation inquiries etc.

Organisation.

Under section 4 of the Bombay Police Act (XXII of 1951) the Organisation. 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 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 Inspector-Generals 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. 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 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 Range 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 and decides the questions of policy and of administration of law within the district, but he does not interfere into the questions of recruitment, internal economy or organisation of the District Force.

The District Superintendent of Police, Satara, 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 the 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 detection of crime in 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 entrusted with detection of crime and supervision of bad characters and gangs in their circles. The supervision and co-ordination of the detection work of the different police stations in the circles is also entrusted to the Inspectors concerned.

At District Head-quarters, the District Superintendent of Police is assisted by an Inspector who is termed as Home Inspector. He is Personal Assistant to the District Superintendent of Police. He supervises the work of the office of the District Superintendent and at the head-quarters during the absence of the District Superintendent of Police and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer. He also does all the routine work at the head-quarters 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. He is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and for seeing that the orders of his superiors are carried out and the discipline of the police under him is properly maintained. He has under him head constables and constables. The head constables are to report to the Sub-Inspector all crimes in their beats and also to' assist him in the investigation and detection of crime. When in charge of a particular post or circle of villages, the head constables act in all police matters in consonance with the heads of the Village Police. When attached to a police station, he holds the charge in the absence of the Sub-Inspector and looks to all routine work including investigation of crime. The constables perform such duties as may be ordered by the head constables and superior police officers.

The control and administration of the Railway Police is vested in the Superintendent of Police who has a parallel organisation on the lines of district police. He functions under the supervision and control of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police and the Inspector-General of Police.

With a view to eradicate 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, State of Maharashtra, Bombay, designated as Director, Anti-Corruption and Prohibition Intelligence Bureau, Maharashtra State. In every district at least one Sub-Inspector of Police of this force is stationed. Corresponding to the ranges in the mofussil, there are four units of this force with head-quarters at Bombay, Poona, Aurangabad and Nagpur, each in charge of a Deputy Superintendent of Police. The unit for Greater Bombay is in charge of a Superintendent of Police.

The Satara District is divided into two sub-divisions: Satara Division and Karad Division, each in charge of Sub-Divisional Police Officer with headquarters at Satara and Karad respectively. In addition to the Police Head-quarters at Satara, there are in all 19 police stations and 25 out-posts in the district. Out of the 19 police stations two are town police stations, viz., Satara City arid Karad Town, ten taluka police stations, one mahal police station and six other police stations.

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. The District Magistrate may, however, delegate any of his authority to the District Superintendent of Police. Each village or a group of villages has a Police Patil. The Police Patil is 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 notorious 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 give all the information he possesses about all events in the village. It is the duty of the village Police Patil to render assistance to any sick traveller. He is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the village.

In 1958, the number of the village police including the Police Patils was 6,873. Some of the Police Patils work as Revenue Patils also. The village police rendered assistance to the District Police in five cases in 1958.

Homo 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 persons, security of property and public safety and such other services to the public as they may be called upon to perform. It is especially 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 and on consideration of the capabilities of the Home Guards concerned. Home Guards are initially trained in lathi, weapons, control of traffic, prohibition and excise laws, first aid, mob-fighting, guard and escort drill, etc A Home Guard gets powers, privileges and obligations 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 a Home Guard 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 Government.

The Satara Home Guards Organisation was started in February 1948. In 1958, the organisation consisted of a District Commandant, four staff officers, ten units each under an Officer Commanding, three sub-units each under an Officer in charge and 338 Home Guards. The Units were at Satara, Patan, Karad, Koregaon, Vaduj, Mhaswad, Phaltan, Lonand, Wai and Panchgani and the sub-units at Aundh, Dahiwadi and Mahabaleshwar.

Village Defence Parties.

With a view to provide an opportunity to the villagers to cultivate among themselves and also to cultivate towards their villages a sense of civic duty, an organisation known as " Village Defence Parties" has been formed in the district. The village defence parties are very useful for the defence of villages against depredations of dacoits and other types of criminals. It is an organisation of public spirited and able-bodied villagers between the age of 20 and 50 who voluntarily enrol themselves as members of the parties.

For some districts there is a Police Officer of the rank of a sub-Inspector for the supervision of the village defence party in the district and is designated as the Village Defence Officer. He is assisted by a Joint Village Defence Officer who is from the public and works in an honorary capacity. There is an Assistant Village Defence Officer of the rank of a Head-Constable and a Joint Assistant Village Defence Officer from the public in an honorary capacity for each taluka. Under the taluka officers there is a Kotwal for each village defence party, who is also a villager. The Kotwal is in charge of the village defence party. The Joint Village Defence Officer and the Joint Assistant Village Defence Officer get permanent travelling allowance at Rs. 35 p.m. and Rs. 22.75 p.m. respectively. The village defence organisation in the district is subordinate to the District Superintendent of the Police who in turn is under the control of the District Magistrate.

In order to create confidence among the members of village defence parties, a few selected members are given arm licences and those men are expected to arm themselves with such guns as they might be able to procure on their own or with the help of the District Superintendent of Police. 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 Kotwals. 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 of the village defence parties. Further, to train himself in shooting each man is expected to fire ten practice rounds in the first year and five rounds in every subsequent year.

Village Defence Parties.

The village defence parties are intended merely for self-defence and do not possess any of the powers of Police Officers. Every act which the members of such parties may perform must be such as may 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 under the Code is condoned merely because of such a person being a member of village defence party organised or working under the supervision of the police.

The special police staff for village defence parties sanctioned for Satara district was discontinued from March 1, 1954, and the work is being done by the police. In 1958, there were in the district 1,015 village defence parties with 44,757 members. There is no Village Defence Officer for Satara. There are, at present (1959-60), one Joint Village Defence Officer and ten Joint Assistant Village Defence Officers. Each village defence party has a Kotwal.

At the close of the year 1958, 1,105 members of village defence parties in the district were gun licensees. Some of the parties possessed 183 spears, 210 torches and 499 lanterns supplied at Government cost. The members used their own arms and ammunation and lathis for night patrolling. Seven hundred and fifty members were given badges.

Strength.

The strength of the district police which was 46 officers and 2,023 men in 1948 was 46 officers and 1,688 men in 1957. In 1958 the composition of the force was as follows:—

The total strength both permanent and temporary was 46 officers and 1,702 men at the end of the year 1958.

The expenditure on the establishment of the district for the year 1958-59 was Rs. 24,30,361. The ratio of the police to area and population comes to one policeman to 2.31 square miles and 674 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 they are attached to the Central Police Training College, Mount Abu for training for a period of one year and after successful completion of the training they are sent to the States concerned for further training. In the 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 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 the State.

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 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 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 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 through 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.

Literacy.

Among the actual strength of 46 officers and 1,702 men of the Satara district at the close of the year 1958 none was illiterate.

Armament.

The armament of the district police in 1958 consisted of 30 carbine machine guns, 956 rifles of.303 bore, 670 muskets of.410 bore. 23 revolvers of.455 bore, 45 revolvers of.38 bore for the use of the police and 5 rifles of.22 bore for imparting training to the public in rifle shooting. Besides these arms, there were 70 rifles of.803 bore, 135 muskets of 410 bore and 21 revolvers of.455 bore for use of the Home Guards.

Besides the men are trained in musketry. An Emergency Company of 100 armed men is maintained and given practice with the rifles of.303 bore. Sixteen men from the Emergency Company are also trained with carbine machine guns. A Tear Smoke Squad of one Sub-Inspector, two head constables and 12 constables is formed for the district and along with this strength, five head constables and two constables are trained in tear smoke.

The district had a fleet of 15 motor vehicles in 1958.

In 1958 the district had a high frequency static wireless station at Satara with two receivers and two transmitters and a temporary high frequency wireless station each at Karad and Patan. Since then, the wireless station at Satara has been provided with a very high frequency set with a control station and two patrolling mobiles and a temporary high frequency wireless station has been installed at Phaltan.

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 modem 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 District Superintendent of Police assisted by the necessary staff of officers of different ranks. The groups are provided with wireless sets and motor transport.

Crime.

The following table shows the crime reported to the Satara District Police during the year 1958 and preceding four years:—

The reported important crime of the district during the year 1958 and the preceding four years was as under: —

The incidence of the reported cognisable crime per thousand population of the district during the year 1958 and preceding four years was as under:—

The Forward Post Scheme was introduced in the district in the border areas and the areas of the adjoining district, viz. Sangli, Kolhapur and Ratnagiri in 1957 and as many as 136 absconders were apprehended till 1960.

Prosecuting staff and Prosecutions.

In 1958 there were nine Police Prosecutors of whom one was appointed as Senior Police Prosecutor in the district. The total number of cases conducted by the Prosecutors in 1958 was 2,094. The prosecuting Jamadars conduct minor cases.

Housing.

Of the total strength of 42 officers (four Inspectors and 38 Sub-Inspectors) and 1,702 men of the district entitled to rent free quarters in 1958, seven officers and 678 men were housed in Government quarters. In addition the military buildings at Satara occupied by the district police on rental basis accommodated two officers and 260 men. There is a proposal with the State Government to purchase the military buildings from the Government of India. The remaining officers and men lived in private buildings on hire.

The construction of residential quarters for the staff of Vaduj Police Station was completed in 1959 under the Second Five-Year Plan. The construction of quarters for the men and office of Undala out-post is nearing completion (I960).

Most of the offices are accommodated in Government buildings, and about 12 offices are accommodated in hired buildings.

Police Welfare.

The Police Families Welfare Fund is maintained for the district. This fund is financed by subscription from the members of the force and benefit performances etc. The following facilities were given to the members of the fund during the year 1958: — (1) Monetary help for medical treatment; (2) Clinic for women and children; (3) Scholarships to school-going children; (4) Poultry farm; (5) Vegetable garden; (6) Vegetable shop; (7) Dairy farm; (8) Sports for children; (9) Tailoring class for women; (10) Carpentry; (11) Adult female education; (12) Help to widows; (13) Transport facilities to school-going children; (14) Powder milk; (15) Recreation rooms; (16) Maternity Hospital; (17) Children's park; (18) Radios for police stations; (19) Mahila Mandals with sewing machines and indoor games; and (20) Newspapers.

A recreation room, a maternity hospital and a children's park were opened at Satara in 1958. There is also a Government mess, a canteen and a provision-store for the policemen at Satara. Besides, there is a co-operative credit society for the district police. The. district police can also take advantage of the General Provident Fund and the Sports Fund.

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