Rampurhat, Aug. 9: A Birbhum judge today hauled up a police officer for not wearing his nametag on his uniform, saying cops did that to avoid being identified while extorting money or harassing people.

“Apnara ichhey kore badge use koren na karon apnara jakhan kaukey mardhor korben ba truck theke taka tulben, takhan manush apnader chine felbe (you do not wear nametags so that you can avoid being identified by people when you beat them up or extort money from truck drivers),” the additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) of Rampurhat, Ananda Kumar Tiwari, told assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Kritwibas Ghosh.

Ghosh, an ASI of Rampurhat police station who is the investigating officer in a case of bike theft, had come to the court to seek custody of the accused.

When the case came up for hearing around 11.45am, Ghosh, who was sitting in the last row of the courtroom, walked up to the dock and saluted the AJCM.

The judge immediately asked him: “Apnar badge kothay (where is your badge)?”

Ghosh fumbled for a while before taking out the nametag from his shirt pocket. He pinned it on the right pocket of his shirt, his fingers trembling.

“Sir, it was in my pocket. I forgot to wear it,” Ghosh told Tiwari.

But his apology cut no ice with the judge. “You (police) intentionally do this. I know why you don’t use it. I will call the superintendent of police,” Tiwari shot back.

The ASI requested with folded hands that he be pardoned. “Ebarer moto maf kore din, ami bhule gechilam (please forgive me this time. I had forgotten to wear the nametag).”

Drawing a distinction between a mistake and a deliberate act, the judge said: “Bhul korle hajar bar khoma korbo. Kintu eta ichhey kore kora, tai khoma nei (I will forgive a thousand times if it’s a mistake, but a deliberate lapse will not be pardoned).”

Tiwari threatened to mention the lapse in his order and “call the superintendent of police”.

The ASI again requested the judge to pardon him and not to call the SP.

But the AJCM pointed a finger at Ghosh and said: “I repeatedly ask the police to wear their nametags but you do not pay any heed. Now I will not say anything verbally. I will put it in my order.”

A court official later said the judge did not mention the matter in his order while remanding the bike theft accused in two days’ police custody. “But the judge asked the court inspector to inform the SP.”

After Ghosh was censured and the judge began the hearing, accused Pintu Sheikh showed Tiwari several injury marks on his body and claimed the police informer who facilitated his arrest had slashed him with a blade.

The judge ordered the police to submit a medical report and told Sheikh: “Tell the doctor who slashed you. Don’t be afraid of the police and tell the truth.”

If ASI Ghosh had thought the tongue-lashing was over, he was in for a rude shock. “Do not influence the doctor. You (police) often do it,” the judge told him.

Lawyers in Birbhum said it was a “regular practice” of police officers not to wear their nametags.

“All police officers must wear it whenever on duty so that their name and designation can be known,” said Ranjit Ganguly, a public prosecutor.

Nametag rule

The nametag is worn on the right pocket of the shirt

Only the name is mentioned on the badges of officers of and above the rank of superintendent of police

Officers below the rank of SP have their name and designation on the badge. But the designation is not mandatory.