The Supreme Court on Thursday set a week’s deadline for States and UTs to report to it on the steps taken for setting up State Security Commissions (SSC), as ordered by the apex court in 2006.
The order came following submissions made by Attorney General GE Vahanvati and former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Prakash Singh, who said that the deficiencies within the police force need to be filled. The 2006 order had directed a broad-based SSC to examine deficiencies periodically and suggest changes.
Excessive police brutality on unarmed women in Punjab and Bihar recently has led the Supreme Court to push for police reforms as ordered by it seven years ago to liberate police of the whims and fancies of their political masters.
While setting out preventive steps to curb police brutality on civilians, the bench of Justices GS Singhvi and Kurien Joseph, however, took a compassionate view of the police force that is often made to work in inhuman conditions.
The Court found that the force was terribly understaffed. Majority of the existing strength was posted in VIP security. This made even the bench to comment, “If VIP culture is removed from our country it will go a long way to benefit police at the grass root level.”
The Court felt that if the police were expected to respect dignity of individual under the Constitutional and laws, it was equally essential to improve the mindset of the top police officers and political executive towards the police force.