Police personnel take part in a march past at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Jan. 13: They are young, look smart, work efficient but lose their cool a bit too fast.

The new-age probationary sub-inspectors (PSIs) in the state capital, though energetic, seem hot-tempered too, thereby getting into sticky situations a little too often.

With two back-to-back incidents leading to the suspension of an inspector, Patna senior superintendent of police B.S. Meena, while mentioning that the men were working fine, added: “Hot-headedness is something that has to be kept at home and the police have to work in accordance with the law.”

Meena said misbehaving with people and raising their hands on them were just not acceptable.

In 2009 too, some of these PSIs, while undergoing their training at Bhagalpur, were dismissed by the police headquarters after getting involved in indiscipline. With as many as 100 PSIs posted at different police stations of the state capital, there have been at least two occasions when the PSIs have proved to be a blot on the image of Patna police.

“It cannot be denied that the PSIs are efficient and are working fine. But then indiscipline is something that cannot be tolerated. They are policemen and should behave like policemen. Bringing bad name to the police is something which is just not acceptable,” Meena told The Telegraph.

On January 10 this year, the businessmen of Hari Niwas under Kotwali police station came down to the streets late in the evening after a PSI allegedly beat up a shopkeeper. The traders blocked the road, leading to a lot of chaos and confusion. In a swift disciplinary action, the Patna police headquarters suspended Deepak Kumar, the PSI involved in the case.

On December 29 last year, two policemen, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a PSI, got into a heated altercation before exchanging blows on the busy Govind Mitra Road under Pirbhore police station. The public gaped as the two policemen hurled expletives at each other and fought.

Moreover, there have been complaints from the public about these young men and women being rude to them on the pretext of vehicle checks.

“Yes, they are ill-behaved. I have been stopped twice by PSIs and they have been very rude to me. Probably, they have not got the mental exercise, required to undertake this job properly. They are young and arrogant, as they don sparkling uniforms. The senior police officers should make them attend a counselling session and they should be taught how to behave with the masses,” said Amrendra Kumar Sinha, who works at a local bank in Patna.

At present, the PSIs working everywhere; they are posted at police stations assist investigations and man the anti-rash driving cell. They are also given the task of regulating traffic and checking vehicles apart from doing office-related work.

The probation period is for one year after which they are made sub-inspectors and then posted to different police stations.

A PSI regulating traffic at a roundabout in the state capital denied the charges. “It varies from individual to individual. We are here to work and learn. And we have full concern about the discipline of the police department,” he claimed.

Meena said no police officer, under any circumstance, could break the law.

“Under no circumstances can policemen misbehave. If they have a hot temper, they should leave it at home and come to duty. The policemen are required to act according the law,” the officer said.