POLICE IN PUNJAB – A PROTECTOR OR A VIOLATOR?

It is an evident fact that for the proper functioning of any democratic society, every organ of the State is expected to be disciplined and accountable to the people. The same applies to Police also or we can say that it applies more to Police, which is primarily entrusted with the task of maintaining public order and enforcing regulations in order to combat crime. But the pattern of police abuses in states like Chhattisgarh[1], Andhra Pradesh[2], Jharkhand[3], Bihar, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir[4], Gujarat, Kerala and also in Punjab[5] (both during the insurgency and post insurgency period) calls for a serious contemplation and opens the doors of new discourse. The gravity of the problem also demands to discuss the effectiveness of available mechanism established for safeguarding human rights of the people in the State. It also calls for assessing the role of political will in terms of containing the said problem in India and particularly in the State of Punjab.