Vigilance officers and policemen at the camp organised at the Vigilance Investigation Bureau office in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Neshat Ahmad

Patna, Nov. 8: The custodians of law had to face the brunt of their own misdeeds today. The state police headquarters organised a camp to bring cops, who were caught taking bribe, to book.

It was a fair-like scene at the Vigilance Investigation Bureau office in Patna today, where police officers sitting under one roof, were listening to allegations and counter-allegations against the men in uniform.

The three-day camp is the brainchild of director-general of police (DGP) Abhayanand to dispose of cases of department proceedings against the policemen caught red-handed by the officers of the bureau while taking bribes.

On the first day, 22 complaints of department proceedings were taken up. The accused, investigating officers, witnesses and conducting officers, were all sitting on the same table for quick proceedings. The conducting officers, who happened to be seniors of the accused, were directed to take on-spot decision and send report to their seniors. The headquarters would then initiate action against the cops found guilty. “The punishment would vary from slapping of fine to dismissal from service,” a senior police officer said.

Sources said around 50 policemen have been trapped and arrested on graft charges by the bureau since 2006. Most of them are assistant sub-inspectors, sub-inspectors and inspectors.

The police personnel of Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Saran, Bhagalpur, Naugachia, Lakhisarai, Gaya, Jamui, Begusarai, Aurangabad, Bhojpur and Sitamarhi appeared at the camp today, sources in the state police headquarters said.

“The idea behind organising a special camp is quick disposal of department proceedings initiated against the policemen, who were arrested earlier on corruption charges,” the DGP said. He trashed the allegations of the Bihar Police Association that the headquarters’ move was unlawful.

“The entire process is being conducted according to rules. The accused persons will be given ample opportunity to defend themselves. They even have the right to appeal. Nothing is illegal,” he added.

Additional director-general (vigilance bureau) P.K. Thakur clarified that the bureau just played the role of the facilitator. “The headquarters cannot afford to provide space for conducting proceedings against such a number of policemen at a particular time. So, we provided the space and other infrastructure. Moreover, our men are the investigating officers and the witnesses in trap cases,” he said.

A delegation of the Bihar Police Association, led by its general secretary Arvind Kumar Yadav, had met the DGP last week and submitted a memorandum urging him not to hold special camps for “speedy proceedings” against the policemen, who fell in the vigilance trap.

The association leader said: “When the matter is pending in the court (sub judice), the step taken by the police headquarters is not justified.”