Empathise with complainants, DIG Rajpal Meena tells police officers

Kozhikode

Deputy Inspector General and District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) Rajpal Meena has urged police officers to empathise with those who visit police stations with their complaints. “Half the complaints against police officers could be avoided with small behavioral changes. We may have various tensions in life. But they do not matter once we put on the uniform,” said Mr. Meena at a seminar on ‘Gender Justice and Constitution’ organised by the Kerala State Women’s Commission and the Kerala Police Association (Kozhikode City unit) on Monday.

Women’s Commission Chairperson P. Sathidevi said that a large chunk of cases that came up before the commission were against police officers when they failed to register complaints by women or behaved rudely to them. “I know that 99% of police personnel do their job well. But the remaining are enough to taint the force,” she said, adding that there were several officers who rose beyond their duty to protect and help their fellow citizens. She specially commended the policewoman who saved an infant’s life by breastfeeding the child.

“Everyone needs to have proper gender awareness to overcome the problems they face effectively,” she said, addressing the hundred policewomen who attended the seminar.

Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor P.M. Athira, who introduced the topic, said, “The inability to imbibe constitutional values is the biggest challenge before the Indian justice system”. She added that authorities were rarely questioned in the country because the people were unaware of their rights. State Committee member of Kerala Police Association Rejina P.K. presided over the event.