Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Start your answer by briefly introducing.
• Talk about various stakeholders involved in the case.
• Discuss ethical dilemmas involved in the case.
• Discuss the available options and course of action that should be taken by you as a Superintendent of Police.
• Conclude by giving suggestions so that these types of incidents could be curtailed.

Introduction

As a Superintendent of Police in a district in Uttar Pradesh, my primary duty is to maintain law and order and ensure justice for all. The recent killing of a gangster-turned-politician in police custody has posed a significant challenge. My duty is to handle the situation impartially and ensure that justice is served without any undue influence from any party.

Body

Stakeholders Involved:

• Supporters of the deceased
• Government
• Local officials
• Politicians
• Society at large
• Myself as Superintendent of Police

Ethical Dilemmas Involved in the Case:

• Maintaining Impartiality vs. Political Pressure:
  • The case has attracted immense political pressure on the police department to solve the case quickly and bring the culprits to justice. However, as a police officer, my duty is to maintain impartiality and conduct an impartial investigation without any undue influence from any party.
• Transparency vs. Protecting Police Department Reputation:
  • As a police officer, my duty is to ensure transparency in the investigation and address the issues related to the security lapse. However, this may harm the reputation of the police department, as the crime was captured live on camera in police custody.

Options Available to the Superintendent of Police:

There are various options available to me as Superintendent of Police in handling the situation:

Option 1: Ignore Political Pressure, Follow Standard legal procedures

• Merits:
  • Helps maintain impartiality in the investigation
  • Sends a message to the public that the police department is not influenced by politics
• Demerits:
  • May lead to political backlash and negative media coverage
  • May put pressure on the police department to solve the case quickly and without thorough investigation

Option 2: Succumb to Political Pressure

• Merits:
  • May help in resolving the case quickly and satisfy the politicians
  • May prevent negative media coverage and political backlash
• Demerits:
  • Compromises the impartiality of the investigation
  • May lead to allegations of political interference and bias

Course of Action:

• I will issue guidelines to ensure that fake news is not spread on social media.
• I will suspend the concerned police officials and establish an independent internal investigation team within the police department.
• I will review security situation to ensure that no communal riots are allowed to take place.
• This team would work closely with the local police officers and the family of the deceased gangster-turned-politician to gather evidence and investigate the case thoroughly.
• I will ensure that there is no political interference in the investigation, and the case is handled solely based on facts and evidence.
• Maintain transparency with the public, keep them informed of the progress in the investigation, and give briefing to media so that fake news is curbed.
• Review and strengthen security measures for high-profile prisoners to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
• Provide training and education to police officers on ethical conduct, human rights, and the importance of upholding the law.

Conclusion

As a Superintendent of Police, my duty is to ensure that justice is served, and the culprits are brought to book. By taking necessary measures like strengthening security, addressing political interference, maintaining transparency, and providing training and education, we can prevent such incidents from happening in the future.