Cops more focused on VIP cover than rising crime: Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday sharply observed that the “rise in crime is not important for police as they are busy providing security to the rich,” after perusing a list of protectees, comprising politicians and businessmen, who haven’t paid the government for the security provided to them.

The HC said that a poor man who faces threat to his life would not get security because he cannot afford the payment, while a  builder could get security for free. According to the government, 792 people are being provided with security in the state, with 242 of them in Mumbai.

Among the defaulters is a leading politician who has not paid for his security since 2005 and a businessman who has enjoyed free security since 1998. In both cases, their protective cover was not withdrawn.

A division bench of Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice G.S. Kulkarni while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) said, “We are only concerned with the law and order situation and the police personnel should be in police station for providing security and ensuring law and order.” The court further said, “It appears from your (government) list that these people have not paid money since many years but government is still providing them security.”

Chief general prosecutor (CGP) Abhinandan Vagyani told the court that the state has reserved certain police personnel exclusively for providing security. When the court remarked that the rise in crime is not important for the police as it is busy providing security, Mr Vagyani said the protection has been continued despite non-payment of dues only in cases of politicians whose lives are under threat.

Referring to a particular political leader whose name figured in the list of defaulters submitted by the government, the bench said, “From 2005 no payment is made, but you have continued to provide the police protection”.  “Recover the dues from political parties, if the functionaries are not paying the same,” the bench said. “We want to know why dues are not recovered. Are they unable to pay or is it that you want to treat them as VIPs?” the court added.

“If necessary you run a separate agency for providing protection to private persons,” the court said. The government gave the list of the protectees who have not paid their dues in lieu of enjoying state protection in a sealed cover to the court and it requested that its content should not be made public.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar and lawyer Sunny Poonamia, who alleged that the state failed to recover money from people provided with police security and their security has still not been removed.

The court said security must be provided to those who are entitled but its only concern was to see that it should not be a loss to the public exchequer. The court listed the next hearing after two weeks.