IT is shameful to hear of allegations that a section of the police is engaged in extortion at the outskirts of the city. There is little to be said when local traders are forced to part with perishable items such as meat and fish for free by the very law enforcers entrusted with the task of maintaining safety and order. That police officials in charge of the local police camp at Amin Bazar reportedly blackmailed traders into submission with the threat of implicating them in false cases reeks of gross misuse of authority.
Faced with a closure of this crucial highway by angered traders, the reaction of police authorities to defuse the situation is equally disappointing in that no serious attempt has been made to bring errant policemen to book. Although law enforcers are prohibited from discharging duty while in plain clothes, allegations have been levelled against select officers for arresting people and traders who manage to get "bail" upon payment of cash as demanded or run the risk of being falsely implicated in various cases.
Despite the police force's claim of innocence in any such extortion practice, the facts speak of a situation to the contrary. In the aftermath of this pubic outburst, police authorities have promised to investigate the matter thoroughly. Unfortunately such incidents have been occurring on a regular basis and there is no denying that certain elements of the police force are indeed engaged in extortion. And as such "investigations" never seem to get anywhere, public confidence in law enforcement will continue to plummet.