KATHMANDU: The Constitution of Nepal has assigned the task of ensuring peace and security situation in the country to the police.

The police play a pivotal role in paving way for the ‘rule of law.’ Along with the investigation of crime and criminal activities, the police have to work for ‘investigation of crime and peace (security) management.

In some cases, the police themselves are found involved in illegal and criminal activities.

The data provided by the police headquarters shows that some police personnel have been found to have been involved in various social, economic and criminal activities.

Some of the police are seen in murder/killings, drug abuse, drug transactions, illegal trade of wild lives and timber, kidnap and rubbery, theft and racketeering.

The latest example of this incident is Hem Bahadur Shahi, a DSP at Area Police Office, Kohalpur, Banke. He is booked in the charge of asking a he-goat from Tarun Dal leader Keshar Khadka.

Two policemen were found involved in the group rape of two young women in June 2019. Two policemen Pateswor Yadav and Prem Khadka were involved in the incident.

Prior to it, Dilli Raj Bista, an SP was dismissed from the service for his force negligence in the investigation of rape and murder case of Nirmala Panta. Together with him Jagadish Bhatta, an inspector in the same unit was dismissed on October 25, 2018.

Two policemen were found involved in the group rape of two young women in June 2019. Two policemen Pateswor Yadav and Prem Khadka were involved in the incident.

Earlier, Gambhir Chand, a head constable working in the Area Police Office, Fulbari, Majhkatuwa was arrested on the charge of rape in Dang.

Last year, Shyam Khatri, an SSP at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), was arrested on the charge of his involvement in the smuggling of 33 kg gold.

After getting clues about Khatri’s connection with the gang of smugglers, a Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) team had arrested him.

Khatri was made a suspect in the Sanam Shakya murder case executed in Urlabari. The murder case found Govinda Raj Niraula, a DIG, Bikash Raj Khanal, an SP and Sanjaya Bahadur Saud, a DSP involved in the case.

Chandra Singh Bhat, an Assistant Inspector of Police and constable Pushkar Shah, both working at the Balaju Police unit, were banded with Rs 500,000 in October 2017. This made Nabin Krishna Bhandari, then DSP and 4 more policemen suspect in the case causing their dismissal.

In February 2017, Madan Bahadur Malla, a sub-inspector and Manohar Budha, a constable, raided at a gambling station at Kalanki, chased the gamblers and looted around Rs 450,000.

As minor mistakes committed by individuals of such organizations are also to draw the public attention, the suspected ones in the serious crime should never be spared.

Two more cases that drew public concern in 2017 were the Durbarmarga rape case and the Itahari rape case. The police were found involving in secretly suppressing the cases rather than investigating it and booking the culprit.

These are some representative cases. As per the Police Headquarter’s data, 1,800 police personnel are booked in many criminal involvements among which 249 are dismissed from the service.

The last 5 years statistics reveal that 10 thousand 5 hundred 11 police have gone through some sort of disciplinary actions.

According to DIG Bishworaj Pokharel, the spokesperson of the police, the staff forbearing disciplinary actions have been the staff from a lower level up to DIG and the cases involving them range from rape, drug abuse, gold smuggling, theft, rubbery, etc.

Coercive actions against the violators: When and how many?

The Police Headquarters data reveals that 2,100 police are found involved in criminal activities every year when 300 of them get dismissed from service for such involvement.

DIG Bishwo Raj Pokharel believes such disciplinary actions taken against the wrongdoers help to make the organization stronger, firmer and more trustworthy.

As minor mistakes committed by individuals of such organizations are also to draw the public attention, the suspected ones in the serious crime should never be spared.

The news about the fugitives’ involvement in organized crime is not new, however, the shocking revelation about senior officers as abettors is likely to stake the organization’s accountability and trustworthiness.

“The persons who have been sworn in office as public servants and saviors seem to be committed to earning money by hook or crook. This has not only defamed the organization but also resulted in deterioration of the service,” regrets Jaya Bahadur Chand, former AIG of Police.

Chand thinks it’s high time to ponder at the cause of police in such activities.

Legal provisions

Clause 113 (A) of Nepal Police Regulations has the provisions regarding the actions against the police not abiding by the prevalent laws.

The actions range from warning, clarification, to dismissal from service declaring ineligible for future services or dismissal from post declaring eligible for tenure in government service in the future.

Nepal Police Act provisions that the police dismissed from the post are not eligible to get additional amenities except Provident Fund and Insurance whereas the ones removed from the post are eligible to get gratuities, pensions, etc.

The involvement of security forces, assigned the responsibility of maintaining law and order situation and ensuring peace and security, in the criminal activities defames not only the concerned institution, but it also has long term dire impacts as the trustworthiness and credibility in such institution will deteriorate for a long time.

As questions are raised about such instances in all four types of security forces, it’s high time that the concerned authorities curbed such activities in time.