Ill-trained 2015-16 batch cops behind trigger-happy culture, say experts

Three incidents have taken place this year where young policemen shot someone with a flick of the fingers which not only indicates growing trigger-happy culture in the police force but also gross indiscipline in UP police constabulary.

According to retired and serving policemen, high-handedness and indiscipline is more evident in the constables of 2015-16 batch in which the government recruited 40,000 constables.

Officials, who did not wish to be named, said the recruitments were done to stabilise the fast depleting strength of the UP police and the police training colleges (PTCs) were not equipped to deal with such a high number of recruits.

Due to this, the recruits did not get proper training, they said and added that the constables and sub-inspectors of this batch should be sent back to PTCs for proper training.

Prashant Chaudhary, the constable who shot dead Apple India executive Vivek Tiwari in Lucknow on Friday night when he allegedly tried to drive away on being stopped by him, also belongs to the 2015-16 batch.

Another constable of the same batch Mahendra Singh, attached with Dial 100 service in Firozabad, had allegedly shot dead a 12-year-old boy Manik Baghel after the child inadvertently stepped on his toes in a marriage ceremony in April this year.

According to sources, Singh was invited to fire in the air during the marriage ceremony.

Similarly, sub-inspector Vijay Darshan (of the same batch) and two constables shot at a gym trainer Jitendra Yadav in Noida in February this year. Before being sent to jail, Darshan claimed that he had shot at Yadav during an encounter.

Vijay Shankar Singh, who retired recently as a DIG rank officer, said: “This batch (2015-16) is working on the ground these days because of age and agility. There is no denying the fact that they are not adequately trained at all. It has been a concern and has now become a frightening scourge.”

Retired inspector general of police Shridhar Pathak said, “Authorities must put on their thinking caps and ensure that these constables and sub-inspectors complete their training.”

A deputy superintendent of police (DySP) currently posted at a police training centre said the PTCs merely completed the formalities when the number of recruits was high.

“I am privy to many such instances in which recruits came from their homes for a few hours of training and went back. The ‘ustaad’ (instructors) were helpless,” he said.

“Their training was very unlike the regular drill. Theirs ended with mere tips from instructors. They didn’t stay in barracks and simply did not go through the grind,” he said.

A retired instructor said if a recruit was not disciplined, instructors had ways to make him fall in line.

“We have our ways. The entire batch is punished with extra run if a recruit raises his voice. Next time, when the recruits try to speak others pounce upon him. This is how they are disciplined,” he said.

Another senior official said: “In the case of this batch, not only was their training incomplete, the new constables were given field duty. We are seeing the impact in their day-to-day working. These constables will not even salute anyone but their SHO.”

“They are highly indisciplined with no respect for chain of command whatsoever,” he added.

The officer said about 70 per cent of the recruits of 2015-16 batch were from west UP who, he claimed, were considered to be naturally aggressive. He added that if their aggression was not positively channelised through adequate training, they might turn into rogue policemen.

“Constabulary is like the limbs of police department. If they are punished for indiscipline, they enjoy at the police lines and the work in the field suffers. Therefore, senior officers feel it is better to ignore their high-handedness,” he said.