Police Excesses and a Call for Police Reforms

Manisha S
The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, School Of Excellence In Law, Taramani, India.

Volume II – Issue I, 2020

The increasing incidences of police brutality are coming to light especially in this Covid-19 lockdown situation. This has caused a lot of worldwide outrage and protests against such misuse of authority by the police officers. Police Brutality has always existed among us since the rule of British in India. But the legislators are fueling it further by clinging to the age-old Police Act, 1861, drafted and ratified by the Britishers. The police then were used to oppress the people and keep them under control. And to this day, many of them are still doing that as opposed to their expected duty of protecting the citizens and preventing crime. The main reason behind it is the politicians using the police as handmaidens to do their bidding. Both the central and the state Government failing to make any amends to it despite the various recommendations and suggestions made by several committees and even the Supreme Court goes to show how much influence the Ruling Part has over the police.

This paper focuses on the history behind the police detailing and goes on to talk about the various committees and commissions set up and their noteworthy suggestions. It also discusses the various reforms that can be brought out to the police system in order to build a better police-public relation and also to ensure the operational autonomy of the police while also keeping in them in check from misusing their powers.

 

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