Superannuated top cop Gopabandhu Mallick is known as an officer who has mastery over the intricacies of police manual, IPC and CrPC while being endowed with a humanitarian approach. He joined the Indian Railways Personnel Service in 1984 by the time he was serving as a lecturer in Political Science at the Bhadrak College. Subsequently, he was called again to join the IPS in 1987. Besides being a police officer, pursuit of knowledge was an obsession with him. So, he completed MA in Human Rights (IIHR, New Delhi), PG in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (Alagappa University), PG in Business Management (Alagappa University), llB (Utkal University), llM Business law (Kuvempu University, Karnataka) and MA in Mass Communication & Journalism (Alagappa University). He worked as Superintendent of Police, Rayagada, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, SP Crime, SP Railway, Rourkela, SP Bargarh till February 2003. He was promoted to the rank of DIG in 2003. Then, he was promoted to the rank of IG in 2006 and joined as the Additional DG and worked as such of Police-cum-Director Investigation, Odisha Human Rights Commission and of Communication till January 2015. He won President’s Police Medal in 2008 for meritorious services. As a writer of repute, he has edited three books, ‘Blazing Beacon’ (life history of APJ Abdul Kalam), ‘Gandhi: The Father of Nation’ and ‘Ambedkar: The Crusader of Human Rights’. He has also authored two monumental books, ‘Gandhiji and His Contemporary Political leaders in India’ and ‘Human Rights of the Vulnerable Groups in Indian Society’ After his superannuation, he spends his time profitably by serving honorary for empowerment of differently-abled children, emancipation of child labour and bonded labour and works for protection of human rights of the vulnerable sections. In an interview to The Pioneer, Mallick spoke to Sugyan Choudhury.
Would you please share with us some memorable experiences from your chequered careerIJ
In fact, police profession is very challenging and repetition of horrible, thrilling but hilarious experiences. This is regarding my visit to Anit-Naxalite picket post of Malliguda in 2010. One day, the Maoists of Chitrakonda in Malkanagiri district had abducted four sepoys of the State Armed Police from Chitrakonda Market and taken them to their camp in the dense forests at gunpoint. I informed the DGP and proceeded to Koraput. The 3rd Battalion police personnel inquired to know from me if I was bound for the ANPP (Anti-Naxalit Picket Post) risking my life. I didn’t tell them about my future course of action. In the same night, I along with the Commandant of the battalion went to the picket post secretly. The post was located in an inaccessible cutoff area across river Gurupirya which is guarded by dreaded Maoists. As we both were in disguise, the Maoists could not recognise us. We reached the ANPP without any problem. We came across armed Maoists on our way. When we met our officers and men in the ANPP, they became very happy because by that time the Maoists had released our four sepoys. The four sepoys told me that the Maoists’ camp leader had freed them after collecting some information from them. I advised the police personnel of ANPP to keep their head high and discharge their duties in adverse conditions.
I boosted their morale. They understood that their leader was keen to shed his blood to protect them from the Maoists and took a vow not to leave the ANPP in any situation. I and the commandant covered about 30 km of ghat road by a motorcycle in an area guarded by Maoists and rest 60 km by a covered jeep and reached Malkangiri. When we arrived at the district police headquarters, the Superintendent of Police told me that we were fortunate to return to Malkangiri unhurt. In fact, I was the first senior police officer of the IG rank in Odisha who visited a most sensitive ANPP without taking any armed escorts in the interest of the State. When the Director General of Police and other senior police officer got this information from the Malkangiri SP on that particular day, all of them appreciated my work. This was an awesome but memorable incident in my police career.
Why our police are not at par with the Mumbai and Delhi policeIJ
Our police are equally efficient like their Mumbai and Delhi counterparts. If you consider Mumbai and Delhi police as more efficient than Odisha police, the reasons are as under. The strength of the Delhi police as on 15 July, 2009 as per the National Crime Record Bureau data was 66,275 whereas that of the Odisha police was 38,752. Delhi and Mumbai are cosmopolitan cities and highly modernised. Their police forces are also highly modernized and well-equipped with sophisticated arms and ammunitions, network equipments, scientific gadgets to deal with crimes and criminals. They have large numbers of police aid-posts, blocking points at sensitive places and more patrolling vehicles at their disposal to respond to a situation. Hence, they effectively handle crimes, criminals and law and order. If our Government modernises our police system, our police will be as effective as Delhi and Mumbai police.
There are sporadic reports of custodial deaths in police stations. What’s your response to this syndromeIJ
Custodial deaths do occur in police lockups and police is castigated as megalomaniac, blood-thirsty and trigger-happy. As right to life is a most sacrosanct fundamental right of a person, police do not have any right to cause death of a person while that person is under police custody. On the contrary, our Police Manual and Police Acts cast responsibility on police to protect the life of an accused or suspects while they are under their custody. Hence, custodial death of any person is construed as a stain on the reputation of police. However, custodian death can be prevented and averted if the senior supervisory level officers remain alert and oversee the functioning of police stations and implement the eleven guidelines of the Supreme Court pronounced in the DK Basu vs. State of West Bengal case (1997). In this case, it was held by the court that the precious right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution could not be denied to convicts, under-trials, détentes and other prisoners in custody except according to the procedure of law. Unfortunately, the court’s guidelines are not implemented in letter and spirit and custodian deaths are occurring.
What are the stumbling blocks for Odisha police in respect of modernisationIJ
Our Government should allocate required money to modernise the Odisha police.
Despite the Government’s efforts to make the police force people-friendly and proactive, why police have failed to become soIJ
The police in many States are still governed by the old, obsolete, archaic and antiquated Police Act, 1891. They have not freed themselves from their police sub-culture. Police are acting as a reactionary force in the society under stress and strain. In order to make the police people-friendly, the great statesman and visionary late Biju Patnaik had asked the police to interact with public by arranging police-public meetings every month during when he was Chief Minister. Present Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikji has opened “Ama Police Stations” and contrived “Grievance Redressal System” which are unique in India. If police act as per the direction of the democratic Government and maintain transparency and honesty, it will definitely become a people’s police.
It is alleged that political interference is ruining the morale of police. What’s your opinionIJ
Politicians are the representatives of people. When any person is approaching a politician to help him get rid of the clutch of police in the event of his involvement in any crime, a politician may approach the police. He does so as people’s representative. This is termed as political interference. But if police politely tell the politician the real facts and discharge their duties as the agent of law, I think the politician will understand the police and never interfere. Police should not succumb to political pressure.