Police goes hi-tech; Internet replaces ‘munshi’ system

Bipin Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 26

Going hi-tech, the district police has done away with the munshi and the daroga system. In the era of computers, munshis and darogas, who were in direct public dealing since the British rule, have now been replaced with the Internet.

The e-mail system has been introduced in the functioning of the department by the district police chief Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is also heading the charge of Batala, a separate police district created during militancy.

To ensure accessibility, three mobile cell numbers, 9876170350 at the police control room, 9876424042 at the SSP office and 9814085205 with the SSP, have been made available round the clock. In addition, an e-mail ID (policehelp100@gmail.com) has also been dedicated to receive complaints and suggestions from general public.

Talking to The Tribune, Vijay Pratap Singh claimed that teams of public relation officers (PROs) had been constituted to hear public grievances at each police station. Complainants feeling unattended at police stations could contact the PRO team and lodge their complaints.

"We have also separated investigation from law and order at police stations and at the district level as well. We already have standing order from the inspector general of police (IGP) since 1977, however, it was not operational at the police station level. We have implemented it with partial modifications," the SSP claimed.

The complainants can send their complaints to the SSP directly on the e-mail and the FIRs will be registered on the basis of information sent at this account.

Complaint/ suggestion boxes have also been placed at all police stations and public places in Gurdaspur and Pathankot. Informers can drop details of crime and criminals in these boxes.

(http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070327/punjab1.htm#14)

Community Oriented Policing in Gurdaspur District

Gurdaspur Police has launched Community Oriented Policing to provide better services to the common people. In order to streamline the grievance redressal system, PROs (Public Relations Officers) have been posted in each Police Station headed by an ASI assisted by four Constables/Head constables including two Lady Police officers of the rank of Constable/Head Constable. The PROs are working as Community Police Officers. People coming to the Police Station can lodge their grievances with the PRO team. The FIR book and Station diary remain with this team. The system has received very good response from the common public. Basically, this has wiped out British model of Munshi system and Daroga system from the policing at the root level.

Besides this, complaints cum suggestion boxes have been installed in each Police Station as well as at public places in the cities of Pathankot and Gurdaspur. People can drop their grievances if they are not entertained in the Police Stations. The common people are also coming forward with suggestions and information regarding crime and criminals. The keys of the boxes are with the SSP and he personally opens it, daily in the cities and weekly in the rural areas.

To ensure better accessibility, three mobile numbers (cell phone) have been made public -- One is with Police Control room, another in the SSP office and the third one is with the SSP. All the three mobile numbers remain open round the clock. The SSP does not hesitate to attend phone calls even at midnight if someone is in trouble. All the officers now take keen interest to listen to the common people

Contact details:

PCR: 01874-221966, 9876170350

SSP office: 01874-241173(office hour), 9876424042(24 hours)

SSP: 9814085205, 9915737465(24 hours)

E-mail: policehelp100@gmail.com

Community Oriented Policing in Gurdaspur District

‘Right to Sight Camp’ at Amritsar Jail

Amritsar jail organized Right to Sight Camp on March 03, 2007 in collaboration with Rotary Club Amritsar and Dr. Om Prakash Satyam Netralaya Amritsar. Out of total 2200 inmates, around 500 short listed prisoners were checked up in this eye camp. Around 222 inmates were provided goggles free of cost and another 22 were operated upon for various diseases.

Inaugurating this eye camp, the fountain head of the Prison reforms, Dr Kiran Bedi, a Megasaysay award-winner said, “prison reforms in the country has become an irreversible movement, which provides fresh hope to jail inmates”. Dr Bedi said the initiative taken by DIG Prisons Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh should be replicated in several prisons in the state, for improving the quality of life of the inmates.

Appreciating the contribution made by Rotary Club under its President Sumant Sud and Dr. Rohit Om Prakash of Om Prakash Satyam Netralaya Amritsar, she said it was everybody’s duty to contribute towards the welfare of this neglected lot. Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, Member SGPC also shared her views on this occasion.

Later, addressing the annual convocation of Khalsa College for Women here, Dr Bedi said women power was being recognised as a force to reckon with and Indian women had shown that through sheer determination, they could make a significant change in the lives of people.

Parkash Singh Badal sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time amid chants of “Bole so nihal” and bursting of crackers at a well-attended but disorganised ceremony at PCA Stadium here today.

The Badal-led SAD-BJP combine set a record of sorts with all 17 ministers — 12 from SAD and five from the BJP — in the Cabinet rank. There is no minister of state.

The swearing-in ceremony was boycotted by Congress MLAs. None of the 44 MLAs turned up. Nor did former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

Badal, the 17th Chief Minister of the state, was administered the oath of secrecy and office by Governor Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) at 1.35 pm, but before that he had to ask the youth to maintain silence to allow the proceedings to go on.

Assembly Elections peacefully conducted in the District

Elections for the Punjab Assembly were conducted in a free and fair manner despite speculations of violence. The percentage of poll was 77 %, which is 5% more than the average polling in the State. The police made a foolproof security arrangement to maintain law and order during the polls. The borders with Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were sealed and special vigil was kept on the international border with Pakistan.

Man posing as CBI SP held

Gurdaspur Police, acting on a tip off, arrested one Praveen Kumar who duped a number of unemployed persons of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of getting them lucrative jobs in the CBI. He has duped more than 20 youths in Pathankot area by issuing fake joining letters. Interestingly, many of them went to Calcutta and Bombay offices of the CBI to join there but returned back joining letters being fake. The person charged Rs. 3.57 lakhs for the post of Constable in the CBI and also promised rebate of Rs. 50,000/ for the Ex-servicemen.

After interrogation it was found that the same person was caught in Amritsar in 2002 by Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, the then SP City Amritsar(Now SSP Gurdaspur) for similar types of cases. He was on bail in various cases pending against him. The man happens to be a witness in a case investigated by the CBI and worked as an informer (source) for some CBI officers.

Kidnapped boy rescued within 6 hours

Gurdaspur Police got success to rescue a boy who was kidnapped on January 18 while going to school. A ten year old boy Sahil was on his way to school on the College road when two motor cycle-borne youths kidnapped him around 9 a.m. However the Police acting in a professional manner rescued him within 6 hours of kidnapping. All the four kidnappers were arrested by the police on the tip off given by a school teacher. Interestingly the teacher saw the boy with the kidnappers however she did not raise alarm as the boy was seen comfortable with the culprits who were distantly related with the family. This was a case of kidnapping for ransom.

When police sounded a red alert in the area, on noticing policemen at a checkpoint, the kidnappers escaped after leaving the boy and abandoning their motor cycle at a shop near Pandori Mahantan. However two of them were nabbed on the spot with the help of the community. Two persons of the community chased the culprits with the police and help to nab other two culprits also.

The police also took help from the service provider of the cell phone company to trace the identity and location of the offenders. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, SSP Gurdaspur himself led the operation. SP Detective Parambir Singh Parmar, DSP Shailender Singh, DSP Harvinder Singh, Inspector Paramjit Singh and other Police officers alongwith members of the community were awarded with commendation certificates for actively participating in the operation.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh posted as SSP Gurdaspur

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh has been posted as Senior Superintendent of Police of Gurdaspur District. He assumed this charge on 10.01.2007. Kunwar is an IPS officer of 1998 batch of Punjab Cadre; he has earlier served as Senior Superintendent of Police Ferozepur, Superintendent of Police Mohali, and SP City Amritsar besides Assistant Superintendent of Police in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Patiala and Ludhiana Districts.

He became the youngest IPS officer to be posted in Prisons when he was told to head Amritsar Central Prison in December 2005. In less than a year, Amritsar prison became a model for Punjab. The BPR&D,Government of India, recognizing the reforms, organized a training programme ‘Seeing is Learning’ for Prison Officers of North India at Central Jail, Amritsar in November 2006 where Valedictory address was made by Dr. Kiran Bedi, DG, BPR&D. Kunwar was awarded with IVF award 2006 by Dr. Kiran Bedi and entrusted with the responsibility of Honorary Director of Punjab Chapter of IVF. Swami Ramdev visited this prison and appreciated the ongoing reforms.

Decorated with prestigious Baba Farid Award 2004 for Honesty, Kunwar detected the organ trade scam, CBSE PMT scam and first cyber crime of Punjab.