Three nights after Rakesh Kumar Singh, an executive with a private company, was abducted and thrashed for nearly three hours in a moving car, The Telegraph team comprising Joy Sengupta, Piyush Kumar Tripathi and photojournalist Deepak Kumar moved around the city through the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday to do a reality check of the police’s patrolling after dark. 

We found cops sleeping in a number of police stations. A few patrolling parties and constables could be spotted on a few streets but at strategic locations — including Dakbungalow crossing, Hartali Mor and Ramgulam Chowk at south Gandhi Maidan — the men in uniform were conspicuous by their absence, exposing serious security loopholes. And this on a night when senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj was also roaming the city to review night patrolling. 

Here’s how the cops discharge their duty at night, never mind the pet Patna police slogan, “aapke saath (with you)”:

Sleeping cops

Though policemen could be spotted on a few main roads in the initial couple of hours in the night, the perception of “good policing” faded as The Telegraph team started visiting the police stations. At Buddha Colony police station, which oversees areas infamous for crime such as Chakaram, the duty officer was sleeping on the table, all wrapped up in a blanket, at 2.20am. 

At Digha police station, another cop was sleeping on a sofa on the first floor. The policeman was in such deep slumber that he did not notice us photographing him even though we walked in front of him thrice. 

A Rajeev Nagar police station too, the duty officer was asleep. Woken up by a constable, the shocked cop saluted our photographer and blurted out: “Abhi turant pataaye thhe Sir. 2.30 baje tak duty kar rahe the... (I just fell asleep, Sir. I was on duty till 2.30am).”

Deserted junctions

It is a common perception that if not anywhere else, the cops can definitely be found at Dakbungalow roundabout in the heart of Patna. However, not a single policeman or patrolling vehicle could be seen at Dakbungalow at any time from midnight. The police check-post at Hartali Mor, where accidents are quite frequent in the night hours, was deserted as well. Ramgulam Chowk and Dinakar roundabout in Rajendra Nagar also wore 
a deserted look throughout the night.

Invisible cycle patrol teams

Though The Telegraph team moved around the entire city for nearly six hours, we could not find a single cop patrolling on cycle. Patna police on May 23 launched a fleet of 30 cycles, purportedly to strengthen patrolling in the colonies, lanes and bylanes. One cop is supposed to be on each cycle with a stick, torch and whistle for patrolling at night. The cycle patrolling was launched in six police stations. Well, if they were really patrolling they must have been wearing invisibility cloaks a la Harry Potter. 

Closed police chowki

If you go to police stations like Takiapar Chowki in Danapur or Gardanibagh at night for assistance or to report a crime, chances are you would have to keep shouting at the closed gates till the cops wake up from their slumber. When we went there at 2.48am, not even a stray dog could be seen at Takiapar Chowki located on the Digha-Danapur main road; all three rooms were closed. A patrolling party soon arrived at the gate, and mouthed the familiar excuse of all cops being deputed for panchayat elections.

Resilient cop

When we arrived at Saguna Mor police picket at 2.59am, it was enveloped in darkness. As our photojournalist tried to go inside the picket to click photographs, a constable appeared from nowhere. He did not allow the photojournalist to enter the picket and started arguing with us. He refused to give his name, and openly admitted that other cops were sleeping inside. “I am very much on duty. Why do you want to go inside? It is a private place, would you be okay if we enter inside your house in the night just like that (without warrant)?” said the constable. When we had visited the picket first at around 11.45pm, two cops had warmly welcomed and talked to us.

Press immunity

None of the cops — whether on road or in the police stations — asked for our credentials or checked our vehicle after we said we are journalists, even though the instructions are to check every vehicle. Our team heard the instructions from the speaker of the wireless set at Saguna Mor around 11.45pm in which the person sitting at the police control room was asking the patrolling parties to check every vehicle, including two-and four-wheelers. We met patrolling parties at Gola Road at 12.21am and Ashiana Mor at 12.37am. Though our vehicle was stopped at both locations, the cops did not bother to check further after being told that we were journalists. The cops did not even bother to ask for our IDs. 

Silver lining 

The only silver lining as far as visible policing at night is concerned was that we saw constables patrolling on foot in a few areas such as Anandpuri, Kankerbagh and Rukanpura. The constables were walking in pairs with sticks and torch in hand.

Alert constables

While the duty officers were asleep at a number of police stations, the constables seemed to be most alert. Their primary responsibility while guarding the police stations and chowkis at night seemed to be to wake up the duty officer and other seniors whenever our team arrived with a camera. Still, the constable at Buddha Colony police station got a bashing from the duty officer when we went inside and took pictures of the officer sleeping. “Tumko hadkana na chahiye uu sabko (You should have stopped them from entering the police station),” said the visibly shaken cop. 

SSP speak

SSP Maharaaj — who we had called up at 1.23am trying to know his location — called us up at 4am. “I am aware that you are also moving around in the city,” he said. “The police force, for now, is less owing to the panchayat polls. But things will be normal in a day or two.” The SSP added that he had reached home after patrolling at 3am.

Pictures by Deepak Kumar