Taking lessons from a rape case in Mumbai, Jharkhand police has asked the SPs of the State to keep a vigil on police informers and Special Police Officers posted in the Maoist affected districts and keep their bio-data updated. Recently, a rape accused turning out to be a police informer in Mumbai raised an alarm for the Jharkhand police.
“I have told the SPs across the State to keep a tab on their activities and prepare a bio-data about their contribution to the police force,” said DGP Rajiv Kumar. I have asked them to remove those informers or SPOs who have gone defunct for us,” he added.
According to the DGP, the police department keeps on reviewing the status of the performance by the informers. “I have also ordered to review the status of the inputs provided by these informers time to time so that assessment about each of them could be done,” the DGP said.
The police department also takes precautionary measures to prevent such situations. “We also review and inquire about the SPOs and informers during the meetings conducted at the district headquarters and ensure that they are not involved in any anti-social activity,” he said.
These so called SPOs have sometimes been found to be involved in various anti-social activities like extortion, loot, rape and murder. There are several instances where complaints have been registered against the SPOs in the remote areas who had become a terror for the people of that area.
As many as five informers were arrested a few months back under Tamar police station in Ranchi against a complaint filed by a rape survivor. They had warned her to keep better quite or ready to face dire consequences.
Similarly, one more accused in the robbery case had revealed during the interrogation that he was a police informer under Kotwali police station in Ranchi.
In Khunti and Simdega also, SPOs were reported to be involved in murder cases due to the personal rivalry or to establish their supremacy in their areas.
The DGP, however, denied that such incidents have taken place since he took the command of police department in the State.