The Patna police website

The website is supposed to be on Patna police, but www.patnapolice.in deals with only one person: senior superintendent of police (SSP) Alok Kumar.

The SSP’s website, which was launched “in a real hurry” on Thursday evening, does not have much information apart from some blown-up pictures of the officer. The website also focuses on Alok’s 22 initiatives, which he introduced for an “effective” crime control in Patna.

Police sources said the website was launched in a hurry because of two reasons: the Bihar Divas celebrations and the talks of a major IPS reshuffle.

“With each department showcasing something, the Patna police also wanted to come up with something special. The website was not quite ready but still we went ahead with the launch. Talks of a major IPS shuffle shortly, which could see the officer being promoted as deputy inspector-general (DIG) of police, was the second reason. And with the DIG (central range) post vacant since December 13, 2011, it seems quite obvious that Alok Kumar (a 1997 batch officer belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre) might be get posted there. So, before he says adieu, the tale of his achievements must come to the fore,” a senior police officer told The Telegraph, requesting anonymity.

Sources said the achievements seem more of a resume of the police officer, who is facing charges of physical and mental torture by Grade IV employees, especially the cooks.

A three-page preface talks about his stint as the superintendent of police (rail), Jamalpur, in Munger district during which he brought about some new plans to check train robberies. The 46-page list and description of the initiatives also seem to be a blown-up affair considering that criminal activities in the state capital have surged in the past few days.

The result of a number of his moves has been poor. Patna police’s women’s helpline service, launched on March 1, 2010, with the aim of helping women and young girls, has not been working properly.

The traffic police website’s assurance of installing CCTV cameras across the city too turned a flop.

“Each police officer comes up with initiatives. But then the reality here is something very different. There are criminal incidents every day. Making plans and launching websites alone do not help,” Hans Raj, a businessman at Kadamkuan, said.