Patna: Improved law and order used to be chief minister Nitish Kumar's forte. But the rape of a woman going on a two-wheeler in Gaya, another being stripped in Ara and a gangster being murdered on the court premises recently are among cases that have cast a shadow on his "governance".
Despite the state government's claims, the perception that the authority of the law is weakening is gaining ground.
The chief minister has held regular review meetings but it doesn't appear to have helped. By the police headquarters' own admission, crime against women has risen. There's a general perception that the police's writ no longer runs in the state. Former police chiefs have a warning for Nitish. "Nobody can doubt the sincerity of either the political leadership or the police headquarters. But the authority of law has to be enforced," said former DGP Neelmani, hinting at "weaknesses" surfacing in the chain of command. "Some in the police are not executing their jobs with honesty," he said.
Former DGP Abhayanand was at the forefront when the state, led by Nitish, began the process of speedy trial of criminals, striking fear among criminals and helping enforce the law of the land after 2005.
"There appears to be a misconception among people and the media that whenever there is a spurt in crime they say the fear of police has gone," Abhayanand said. "Fear of the police is bad for society. There should be fear of the law. If you decide to hold speedy trial of rape accused, it should be visible. Ensure conviction of those committing crimes and the fear of the law will prevail."
Some police officials point at lack of "action" from the top. "When a woman was stripped on Exhibition road, Nitish gave marching orders to everybody in the Patna police administration. But when a similar thing happened in Bihia, Ara district, action was taken only against some low-ranking cops," said a police officer, stressing that the inaction has led to lack of accountability among cops of SP rank.
A section of policemen point at Nitish's over emphasis on enforcing prohibition. "It has led to rampant corruption while increasing pressure on the force," said a police officer. "Obviously, there's money in it. Lakhs of litres of liquor cannot enter Bihar without cop connivance. Suddenly, the police's focus is not on law and order but on enforcing prohibition." He said cops must be spared the role of enforcing prohibition and the duty be handed over to the excise department.
Nitish came to power through social engineering of castes. In the 2010 polls, he virtually wiped out RJD chief Lalu Prasad from Bihar's political map. "Apart from reworking caste combinations, one thing that helped and made Nitish acceptable to all castes was his enforcement of the law of the land, which helped wipe out the taint of lawlessness. But, sadly, that image is eroding," said a senior BJP leader.
