Supratim Sarkar

Supratim Sarkar, additional superintendent of police, North 24-Parganas, met readers of The Telegraph at his office in Barrackpore to reply to their queries. Participants included Samir Bhattacharjee, Shyamsunder Dey, Papri Banerjee, Arindam Chatterjee, Abhishek Gupta and Abhirup Chanda

Papri Banerjee: A group of eve-teasers holds sway off New Barrackpore railway station. The youths even threaten to molest us if we ask them to check their lewd remarks. Some illicit liquor-sellers carry on a flourishing trade on the spot, too.

To check such problems, we conduct regular raids in all police station areas. Our senior officers accompany officials of each police station to flush out illicit liquor-sellers. However, the problem you have identified is a specific one and will definitely be looked into.

Abhirup Chanda: In the Manirampur College area, some youths park their motorcycles and taunt the girls entering or leaving the college. They had been warned earlier but haven’t left the spot yet.

Our patrol vans make a round of some locations identified as potential eve-teasing zones. This problem will definitely be looked into. What we face a problem with is that none of the protestors testify later. However, it will be of great help if we are told the exact time that this nuisance reaches its peak, so that we can catch the teasers in the act. The college authorities can get in touch with me or the local thana.

Abhishek Gupta: Can we call up the police in case of some localised problem but keep our identity a secret?

We do accept anonymous calls if trouble breaks out in a remote locality. Even in due course, every police station is always ready to hear out a caller as he or she is our source of information. But as an executive legal arm of the administration, we have to follow certain rules to register a complaint under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Generally, after receiving an anonymous call, we check out the lawful jurisdiction. Many such calls contain material and conditions to lodge a First Information Report (FIR). Naturally, such cases are referred to the local thana, but there is no reason to think that we are sitting idle even after receiving information on the outbreak of trouble.

If the caller is not satisfied with the steps taken, he can ring up the circle inspector of the area or the sub-divisional police officer. In doing so, it is important to mention the name of the police station under which the crime spot falls. Often, people don’t even know the jurisdiction of which police station they are living under. In such cases, any landmark may be mentioned to the senior officers.

Samir Bhattacharjee: Would you say that crime in this sub-division is on the wane?

As per the official record, our thrust to keep the crime rate low is succeeding. The sub-division comprises several crime belts. Regular raids and supervision of pending cases are steps that have been initiated to check crime.

Abhirup Chanda: Private buses, autos and some private vehicles choke the vicinity of Barrackpore court mainly during office hours. There is no traffic policeman posted there.

I had mentioned a shortage of traffic home guards in manning the crossings. We have already sent a proposal to the superintendent of police for a few more traffic personnel. But in this case, there are some traffic personnel manning the junction between Barrackpore Trunk Road and the path to the court.

(Concluded)