About 26 retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have condemned the conduct of a few fellow ex-police officers led by Julio Francis Riberio IPS (Retd) of Maharashtra cadre. Ribeiro had written to the Delhi Police Commissioner, questioning the Northeast Delhi riots probe.
In its letter the former IPS including B L Vohra, former DGP, Tristram, P C Dogra, former DGP, Punjab, M G Raman, former DGP, Kerala, Sudhir Kumar, former Member, CVC, R S Gupta, former Delhi Police Commissioner, R N Singh, former DGP, UP, Bhanu Pratap Singh, former DGP, UP and Umesh Kumar, former DGP, Andhara Pradesh stated that Riberio, who coined the famous phrase ‘Bullet for Bullet’ while working on deputation in the militancy ridden Punjab, should not have supported such kind of anti-India expression and communal narrative.
“He and his associates who have come out to support people like Umar Khalid who is known to have given the slogan ‘Bharat ki barbadi tak jung rahegi’, very well know that there is a due process of law, and there is no one above the law,” said the retired IPS officers in their letter.
“The Delhi Police has every right and duty to investigate the role of any such person, and custodial investigation is a part of due process of law. The accused has his rights under the law to seek anticipatory bail or regular bail, as the case may be, and the right to a fair trial where he can prove himself innocent,” they further stated.
“A section of former police officers cannot usurp for themselves the office of Presiding Officers of the Courts to declare anyone innocent and try to put the police force in bad light. These officers have no right to suspect or question the integrity and professionalism of their successors in the Indian Police Service, and in turn demoralize them,” the letter further read.
“Such posturing and adverse commentary by such officers may demotivate the police officers and dilute their firm resolve to act against the criminals, including those who incite communal divide in India by instigating riots,” stated the letter.
“We, the Former Police Officers disapprove any statements or gestures by any motivated group of former police officers, which is aimed at defaming the Police Force and its serving officers, who are performing their duty day and night at great personal risk for the safety of general public,” the retired IPS further stated in their letter.