Misuse of power and authority seems to be the birth right of many in high positions in our country. Especially Indian bureaucrats, after passing one single exam in their lives, consider themselves a separate and superior race to mere mortals like us. They may be from the coveted civil services like IAS, the police services like IPS or streams like IRS and others, the rigid hierarchical structure ingrained in our society often arms them with so much power that they take every mortal’s submission for granted. At times they cross all limits of propriety and indulge in activities of the highly unlawful kind. And when top officers entrusted with law enforcement themselves get caught on the wrong side of the law, it tells a lot about the deep-seated mess in our system.
Let us check some of the superficial facts involved. The suspension of senior IPS officer, Pandit Rajesh Uttamrao for allegedly misusing his position, is a case in point. The 2007 batch IPS officer was serving as DIG, Fire Services & Home Guards, Orissa.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office states that the action was taken on the basis of a complaint alleging that “Pandit has disgraced the dignity of his position by misusing his power last Saturday (July 27) night.” Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ordered the Home department to immediately suspend the “errant senior police officer and take appropriate action against him,” according to the statement. During the period of suspension, the IPS officer will be stationed at the State Police Headquarters in Cuttack and shall not leave the headquarters without obtaining the permission of the DGP.
The disciplinary measures were announced three days after the IPS officer physically assaulted the spouse of a woman police inspector of the Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch in Bhubaneswar with whom he reportedly had an extramarital affair.
According to the complaint, the officer trespassed into the woman cop’s home while under the influence of alcohol, ransacked her furniture, and attempted to forcibly take her away to marry her. While creating the scene, the inebriated IPS officer allegedly resorted to physical assault on the inspector’s husband. It is pertinent to note here that no complaint was filed by the woman inspector or her husband in this connection. In such a situation, if no written complaint is filed in future, then the allegation will become infructuous. And even the government action of suspending the IPS officer may be proven wrong.
Pandit’s case is definitely not an isolated incident. Orissa happens to take the cake in such matters and these bureaucrats manage to eat that cake too. It is not intended to trivialise this issue by blaming the current political lot occupying seats of power. The state’s administration has inherited a system which is nearly a quarter century old and very well entrenched by now, as it is. The former just ousted political set up, very consciously, put down political entities and instead heeded exclusively to bureaucrats. This gave out a clear and loud message to all segments of society that it is not politicians of the ruling party but the officers of the government who would be responsible to deliver succour to citizens.
The proverb ‘Old habits die hard’ holds good for this senior police officer who also played out a drama out of habit. This incident highlights the dire need now of a few but very strong willed political figures who will take it upon themselves to openly dismantle the old and deeply entrenched system of (mis)governance that was encouraged by the earlier political head. This is needed for the survival and well being of democracy in this state.
This Pandit Rajesh incident coming close on the heels of the reported physical assault on an Assistant Section Officer (ASO) of the Raj Bhawan, allegedly by the son of Orissa Governor Raghubar Das, speaks volumes about the prevailing law and order situation in the state. The ASO Baikuntha Pradhan had alleged in his compliant that he was assaulted simply because he could not provide luxury vehicles to the Governor’s son during the latter’s visit to Puri Raj Bhawan.
Adding insult to injury, the state administration shunted the complainant ASO days after he lodged the complaint.
The Raj Bhawan incident led to a huge political storm in the state with the two Opposition parties — BJD and Congress — calling for justice for the ASO. The Puri Collector, tasked with probing the case, is yet to submit his report which already seems fated to go in a particular but obvious path.
The frequency of such instances of abuse of power points to the existing rot in the system that needs to be stemmed immediately. The faith of citizens in institutions has already diminished. It is essential to revive the belief, in the minds of citizens, that all is not lost.