Criminals getting away scot free
TWO incidents of abduction of young men in different quarters of the city by men apparently in the elite law enforcement agency Rab uniforms has sent shock waves through society at large. It is with some consternation we are witnessing the picking up of individuals by people in plainclothes or in uniform who almost always fail to produce any arrest warrant. And equally disturbing is the allegation that when family members go to the nearest police station to get information about the charges, they are informed that the authorities have no idea about the incident.
Feigning ignorance about such happenings is not helpful in any manner. Though law enforcers can apprehend any person under Section 54 of the criminal procedure code on grounds of suspicion, wily criminal gangs are taking advantage of this situation to pick people off the streets posing as law enforcers. In such a situation, it is high time the people are made aware of their rights under the law. Anyone charged with any wrongdoing should be able to ask for identification of the agency doing the arresting. Again it stands to reason that the accused be shown an arrest warrant when being apprehended.
These safeguards need to be incorporated into the code of conduct of law enforcement agencies. It would also go a long way in removing the menace of the criminally inclined elements in society who are presently getting away with abduction and giving law enforcement in the country a bad name.
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