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Irresponsible behavior in the enforcement arm of our governance
Written By psaram42 - 16 December, 2010
Bangalore governance law and order Corruption Police Citizen Reports governance
“B. Mutnanna DCP Traffic Ordered for Jonny walker Blue label scotch but got something Desi equivalent at Le Meridian Hotel in Bangalore yesterday 15Dec2010. The DCP and his friend quarreled with the hotel staff and left after the party without paying the bill.” [1]
The incident reported in Bangalore Mirror of Thursday December 16, 2010 makes a sad reading indeed. Police collecting “hafta” is a very familiar and accepted malady in our governance. However the same in higher ups is a sad deterioration like rotting of the body from head down. [2]
The Police, the enforcement arm of governance, often in collusion with the Law makers could be a stumbling block indeed, of our democracy. It needs to be condemned in all forums of the city.
COMMENTS
silkboard - 16 December, 2010 - 05:51
Not supporting the police officers named here. We know there are black sheeps in there. But why is this report on the front page of a "tabloid". Why is it not worthy of being a headline in a regular newspaper? Who is to say that the no-traffic sign placed near this hotel was not required in the first place?
Why are we trained to just accept these reports as they are? Could it be that the hotel folks offered scotch to the cop to get the no-traffic sign removed?
sufficient verification done, I would like to believe
murali772 - 16 December, 2010 - 07:23
@SB - I don't think Bangalore Mirror, even if a tabloid, will publish such stories without doing sufficient homework. Besides, as part of the ToI group, they have many things at stake, and can't afford to be too wrong. So, I would generally believe the story. And, by propagating it, I should think we are extending the reach of the exposure, and thereby doing a service.
Anyway, where do citizens like Anantram have the resources to verify such stories?
psaram42 - 17 December, 2010 - 05:16
A tabloid is a newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread; to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest stories and entertainment, often distributed for free.
This is the case with Bangalore Mirror. The “stories” (not fiction) need be true. As per my observations some important news is repeated in a condensed form in the main TOI paper too. Obviously this petty offence of Mr. Muthanna does not find a place in the main paper. You are right SB.
The report is about a senior non IPS police officer not paying the bill, for what he and his friends consumed at the hotel. The hotel management chose not to go to the police station to report the offence for obvious reasons. Instead it went to the media. The officer concerned has not denied the charges of non payment of dues, as per the media report.
The officer seems to be habituated in this kind of frivolous habit of entertaining self accompanied by guests, free of cost. This is condemnable in itself. The hotel management being guilty or not does not count please!!
silkboard - 18 December, 2010 - 07:14
PSA sir, if it came across as giving a clean chit to the DCP, I must take that back. Why such a story is not worthy of the "main" newspaper (wherein ToI is now carrying sex advice and trends right next to the editorial. why leave the edtorial page intact, kill that too please, the job will be complete) beats me, and I would suspect that tabloids are made to carry low stories with lower credibility. I don't know, I may be wrong, but I would like to know.
However, it seems DCP has "pressurized" the Hotel to "retract" the story they recounted to Blr Mirror. And apparently the Hotel has done so. Despite coverage via media/tabloid, and "reputation" of the DCP involved, the Hotel preferes not to complain (to the DCP's boss? would that be Mr Sood?). Well, if that is how businesses work, police etc will keep milking them to their liking.
After the DCP, it's now the ACP!
murali772 - 7 January, 2011 - 08:20
Just as the New Year party was beginning to rock for more than 200 guests at Hotel Le Meridien’s Le Brasseir coffee shop, who had shelled out Rs 7,700 per head for it, they were subjected to a do-good lecture from M Chandrappa, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Yeshwanthpur), and then, another 15 minutes of more of the same from his 16-year-old daughter. To top it all, the cop’s family walked away with all the three lucky draw prizes for the evening - the cop himself won an all-expense-paid trip to Dubai; his wife won a stay at Mauritius; and their daughter won a trip to Goa — all sponsored by Le Meridien Hotel. “They were a large party of about 12 - may be that explains their luck,” explained a hotel source.
For the full report in the Bangalore Mirror, click here
Commenting on the CWG, Adarsh, and such scams, a friend was asking 'how do the people involved face upto their children?'. Here, does the ACP's daughter, who went on to give a do-good lecture, understand that when her father spends close to Rs 1 lakh on a new-year party, there's something seriously amiss? Or, has she also, even though just 16, 'matured' to the ways of the world?
A lot many people even today hanker after government jobs inspite of the comparatively lesser salaries on offer. The reason clearly are these 'perks' of office. And, that's also why it's imperative to down-size governments from the behemoths they have become today. For more on that, click here.
And, as for Le Meridien, like it was said of many business houses during the emergency, "when asked to bend, they chose to crawl". And, today, we don't have an emergency even.
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