The number of Police stations and police posts in each tahsil/sub-division is as under:

Tahsil/ Sub-division		No. of villages	Police Stations	Police Posts
Gurdaspur	..	725	1. City Gurdaspur	1. City Dinanagar
			2. Sadar Gurdaspur	2. City Dhariwal
			3. Dinanagar
			4. Dhariwal
			5. Kahnuwan
			6. Kalanaur
Batala	..	497	1. City Batala	1. City Dera Baba Nanak
			2. Sadr Batala	2. City Fatehgarh
			3. Dear Baba Nanak	3. Qadian
			4. Fetehgfarh Churian	4. Ghuman
			5. Srigobindpur	1. Sujanpur
Pathankot	..	421	1. City Pathankot	2. Dunera
			2. Sadar Pathankot	3. Shahpur
			3. Dhar Kalan
			4. Narot Jaimalsingh

Civil police.- The civil police is posted at the police stations/ police posts. There are 15 police stations and 9 police posts in the district. Station House Officer is incharge of each police station. He is normally assisted by one or more Assistant Sub-Inspectors, a Head Constable, a Moharrir and a number of Constables. The duty if the station House Officer is to maintain peace and to investigate offences occurring in his circle.

Vigilance Police.- The function of the Vigilance Bureau is to investigate complaints of corruption against Government servants and to collect intelligence regarding corrupt Government servants . The staff also organizes taps to capture the corrupt Government Servants red-handed while accepting bribe who are later on prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.

Two units of Vigilance Bureau are functioning in the district, one at Gurdaspur and the other at Pathankot. Their respective staff strength is given below:

Inspectors		Sub- Inspectors	Head Constables	Constable
Gurdaspur unit	1	3	1	4
Pathankot unit	1	2	1	5
Gurdaspur District	2	5	2	9
	(Source: Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, Chandigarh)

Railway Police.- Not allotted to any district in particular, the Railway Police is part of a separate State organization, working under the Assistant Inspector General, Government Railway Police, Punjab, with headquarter at Patiala. The circles of the Railway Police are formed according to the sections of railway lines in which they control crime committed in railway trains and within the railway premises.

The headquarters of the Government Railway Police, through which the crime on stations in the Gurdaspur District is controlled, are situated at Pathankot. The Government Railway Police Station, Pathankot has two outposts at Gurdaspur and Batala. The staff posted in the district comprises: I Sub-Inspector, I Assistant Sub-Inspector, 4 Head Constables and 19 Constables.

Excise Police Staff.- The staff strength of Excise Police in the district consists of Sub-Inspector, 6 Head-Constable and 36 Constables. The whole of this staff is on deputation from the main strength of the Police Department.

Village police.- The Chowkidar is at the lowest rung of the police organization. He helps the village headman in the maintenance of peace and security in the village and it is his duty to help in the detection of crimes and report any crime which occurs to the authorities concerned.

Trackers. – The services of trackers are required especially in theft cases and other cases, if necessary. They render useful help to the police in the investigation of such cases and to trace out the accused from the tracks left by them at the scene of occurrence.

Punjab Home Guards. – This organization was started in India in 1946 during the troublous days of the communal riots in Bombay. From Bombay, the organization developed later to other States. In the Punjab, the Punjab Home Guards Act was passed in 1948. Under this Act, the Home Guards organization was started in the Gurdaspur District in 1962.

This organization has been established with a view to helping the general public during the normal and abnormal conditions such as prevail at the time of any national crisis. Besides, helping people on days of festivals when there are crowds in the streets and temples, the Home Guards are given training in parades, rifle-shooting, first-aid and physical exercise, fir-fighting, life-saving techniques.

(c) Jails and Lock-ups

In the past, prisons were only places of detention where an offender was detained until trial and judgement and the execution of the latter. The imprisonment became an instrument of penal treatment with the initiation of a uniform system of legal justice in the country during 1858-1861. Improvements were introduced in prison administration from time to time on the recommendations of the different jail committees appointed in 1836, 1864, 1877, 1889, 1892 and 1919, and the resultant Prisons Act, 1870, the Prisons Act, 1894, and the Reformatory Schools Act, 1897. After the independence (1947), tremendous changes have been effected in the working of jails.

There is a District Jail at the district headquarters at Gurdaspur and a sub-jail at Pathankot. Besides, there is a lock-up attached to each police station, which is controlled by the police department.

District Jail, Gurdaspur. – Established in 1855, it is under the charge of the Superintendent to Jail, who is assisted by 1 Deputy Superintendent (Jail), 1 Welfare Officer, 1 Assistant Superintendent, 1 Sub-Assistant Superintendent, 5 Clerks, 1 Carpenter Master, 1 Teacher, 1 Pharmacist, 1 Head Warder, 34 Warders, 1 Matron, besides other technical/miscellaneous and Class IV staff.

The total admissions during the year, average daily population and maximum population on any one day during the year in the District Jail, Gurdaspur, during 1965 to 1972, are given in the following table :-

		1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972
Total admissions during the year		..	780	637	656	578	728	1,945	2,699
Average daily population	..	272.30	283.83	270.50	277.27	329.10	396.66	410.39	415.72
Maximum population on any one day during the year	..	378	371	330	354	418	675	519	552

(Source : Superintendent, District Jail, Gurdaspur)

The number of convicted prisoners released on different grounds, during 1965 to 1972, are shown in the table given below :

Year		Grounds of release
		Appeal/Bailed	Expiry	Remission	Government orders	Others
					Parole/furlough and under Section 401 Cr. P.C.
1965	..	226	152	165	29	13
1966	..	259	110	232	51	1
1967	..	189	109	104	76	2
1968	..	172	154	136	85	1
1969	..	184	48	70	39	42
1970	..	268	128	145	72	35
1971	..	311	100	103	52	2
1972	..	329	120	105	60	..

(Source : Superintendent, District Jail, Gurdaspur)

Though jails are considered penal institutions, they are now-a-days regarded more or less as institutions for the reformation and rehabilitation of those men and women who find themselves in jails for a variety of reasons. Whatever may be the cause of prisoners’ entry into jails, it is the duty of jail administration to equip him with such training as will enable him to settle down as an honest, decent and useful citizens of the community after his release. With this end in view, Government has introduced several jail reforms in which the welfare of prisoners occupy an important place. These are (i) remission of sentence for good behaviour, (ii) granting of furlough and parole, (iii) supply of newspapers, (iv) literacy classes for the benefit of prisoners, (v) canteen facilities with permission to spend up to a certain percentage from the money earned by prisoners in jail on items like tea, milk, cigarettes, match-boxes, soap, etc., (vi) film shows arranged by the district Public Relations Officer, (vii) cultural activities in the form of bhajans, songs, etc., (viii) permission to prosecute studies and get schools books in addition to religious books from relatives and jail library, and (ix) installation of radio-set in the jail premises.

Education and Recreational and Medical Facilities

A paid teacher is working in the District Jail for imparting education to the illiterate prisoners. He holds daily classes in batches to enable them to read and write in different languages. Quarterly examinations of these prisoners are held and literary certificates are issued to those prisoners who pass the examination. Prisoners desirous of private studies up to Matric and Parbhakar standard are afforded necessary help by the teacher. The prisoners who are unable to purchase books are provided these from the funds of District Crime Prevention Society. A library is also maintained in the jail.

To break the boredom of the jail life, certain recreational facilities like carom-board, playing cards, ludo, etc., outdoor games such as wrestling, kabaddi, volley-ball, etc., and sports, tug-of-war, high-jump, long-jump, etc.; are provided. Periodical matches are also arranged between the different teams to inculcate the spirit of competition and sportsmanship. Quite often, get-together meetings are arranged, where prisoners enjoy folk dances, bhangra, etc. Variety shows and cinema shows are also arranged frequently. A radio-set has been provided by the District Crime Prevention Society, Gurdaspur, for the prisoners in the jail. Apart from providing entertainment, it keeps them informed about day-to-day events.

A whole-time Medical Officer was appointed on December 4, 1972, to look after the health of the prisoners and the employees of the jail.

Canteen

The jail is running a canteen on co-operative basis to meet the daily needs of the prisoners, like, biris, biscuits, toilets, etc. Started in 1961, it is functioning quite satisfactorily and earning profits which are utilized for the benefit of the prisoners.

Panchayat System

The panchayat system has been introduced in the jail and its meetings are held regularly for the improvement and betterment of the prisoners.

Jail Industries

In a welfare State, social reconstruction and rehabilitation of offenders is the main objective of punishment. The ancient theory of retribution has almost been discarded. The aim of punishment now-a-days is to protect the society through the rehabilitation of offenders. A prisoner having been found guilty by a judicial court is sent to the prison, thereby segregating him from the society with two important aims, viz., to protect the society from the criminal behaviour of the offender, and to reform the offender by changing his attitude of mind, various types of institutional treatments have been evolved. The most essential feature of correctional programme is to impart technical and vocational training to the prisoners.

The prisoners in the District Jail, Gurdaspur, are provided training in various trades to enable them to earn or supplement their income by doing some useful productive work independently, especially after their release. The different trades in which training is given in the jail are : carpentry, munj and hemp, ban, cane, chick and niwar making, poultry, book binding, etc.

The articles manufactured in the above mentioned trades are sold mainly to jails, Government departments and private individuals. The average number of prisoners employed in these industries, total production and gross profit, during 1965 to 1972, are given below :

Year		Total average of prisoners working in the factory	Production (Rs)	Gross profit (Rs)
1965	..	64.0	1,17,850	23,533
1966	..	60.5	1,06,562	60,400
1967	..	66.1	1,18,982	14,842
1968	..	52.0	1,36,143	50,515
1969	..	52.6	1,13,261	21,541
1970	..	51.0	1,23,921	28,811
1971	..	65.6	1,70,855	33,624
1972	..	74.0	1,85,125	18,512

(Source : Superintendent, District Jail , Gurdaspur)

Official and Non-Official Visitors

The visits of official and non-official visitors are useful both to the prisoners and the jail authorities. Problems of prisoners are directly taken notice of by the official visitors. They also see whether proper rules and regulations are observed in the jail or not. The visits of non-official visitors are also useful as they provide a community touch to the prisoners which gives them a realization that the society has not forgotten them and they are eagerly awaited back in their fold. It helps broadly in their rehabilitation back in the society.

Sub-Jail Pathankot.- Situated in the Civil courts, Pathankot, the sub-jail came into existence on April 1, 1962. It was under the control of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, who is its part-time Superintendent and is, in that capacity, assisted by supervisory staff comprising I Assistant Superintendent, I Head Warder and 6 Warders.

The total admissions in the Sub-jail during 1965 to 1972 were 2,621. The average daily population was 11.57 and the maximum population on one day (September 15, 1971) was 24, during 1971-72.

District Crime Prevention Society, Gurdaspur.- Headed by the Deputy Commissioner, the District Crime Prevention Society, Gurdaspur came into being in 1954. It helps in the prosecution of studies further in case of deserving prisoners by giving them financial help for the purchase of books, payment of examination fees, etc. For the improvement of general out-look of the prisoners, the society also provides two daily newspapers and a weekly magazine. A good number of books have also been added to the jail library by the society. The society also provides financial assistance, wherever needed, for the rehabilitation of prisoners after their release to carry on the trade learnt inside the jail.

District Probation Officer, Gurdaspur. – The Probation of Offenders’ Act, 1958, came into force in Gurdaspur District on June 20, 1966, when a District Probation Officer was posted there. He is under the control of Chief Probation Officer, Chandigarh, who supervises and directs the work in the entire State under the overall administrative control and guidance of the Inspector General of Prisons, Punjab, Chandigarh.

The Probation of Offenders’ Act was made as a reformative measure for the juvenile offenders (below the age of 21 years) and for first offenders, irrespective of their age to save them from the walls of the jail. The Act provides that such offenders be released on bail after entering into a bond with one surety for an amount considered sufficient and for a period up to three years, as desired by the court, keeping in view the intensity of the crime. The Act does not cover such offenders who have committed an offence for which they can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. Whenever a juvenile or first offender is brought before the court with some charges for which the benefit of Probation of Offenders’ Act, 1958, can be given to the offender and, as soon as the challan is put up by the police, the court asks for pre-sentence report from the District Probation Officer. The District Probation Officer then makes discreet inquiries regarding the offender’s character and antecedents, his social and environmental conditions, the financial and other fact which the court has directed to enquire. Keeping in view the intensity of the crime and the character to enquire. Keeping in view the intensity of the crime and the character of the offender, he is released on probation with or without supervision.

Those who are released on supervision are kept under the supervision of District Probation Officer who acts as a friend, philosopher and guide to all the probationers. He also looks into their personal problems and tries to solve them. The Probation Officer endeavours by examples, advice, persuation and assistance and, where necessary, by warning to ensure that the probationer does not violate the conditions of the supervision order or commits any further offence and behaves in conformity with law. The Probation Officer also tries to improve the behaviour, attitude to society, habits, character and morale of the probationer so that he may not revert to crime. All this is done by arranging meetings with the probationers at their villages and in the office of the probation Office. The Probation Officer makes enquires regarding the character and behaviour of the probationer from respectable persons of the village like Sarpanch, members of Panchayats and Lambardars, etc.

The following table shows the number of prisoners released on probation on various ground during 1969 to 1972 :-

Year		Prisoners Released on Probation
		Under supervision	Without supervision	Under section 3 of Probation Act after admonition	Social investigation reports
1969	..	65	27	5	20
1970	..	60	125	22	11
1971	..	71	164	89	8
1972	..	58	97	1	11

(Source : District Probation Officer, Gurdaspur)

(d) Organization of Civil and Criminal Courts

As in other districts of the State, the organization of judiciary in the Gurdaspur District too consists of a District and Sessions Judge and an Additional District and Sessions Judge at the district headquarters. On the criminal side, a Chief Judicial Magistrate and, on the civil side a Senior Subordinate Judge, work under the superintendence of the District and Sessions Judge. At the district headquarters, the civil and criminal cases are dealt by 4 Judicial Officers who are allotted the woek by the Chief Judicial Magistrate and the Senior Subordinate Judge. Similarly, at the tahsil level, there are judicial officers who dispose of civil and criminal cases under the supervision and control of the District and Sessions Judge. The civil cases are directly instituted in the courts at the tahsil headquarters, while, as regards criminal cases, separate police stations are allotted to different judicial officers who deal with the cases of those police stations.

Civil Justice. – The administration of civil justice in the district is controlled by the district and Sessions Judge, Gurdaspur. He is assisted by an Additional District and Sessions Judge, Gurdaspur, 1 Senior Subordinate Judge, Gurdaspur, and 9 Sub-Judges-cum-Judicial Magistrates (4 posted at Gurdaspur , 3 at Batala and 2 at Pathankot). Out of these, 7 are 1st Class; the one posted at Gurdaspur is II Class Magistrate-cum-Sub-Judge III Class ; and another posted at Batala is I Class Magistrate-cum-Sub-Judge III Class.

The civil courts try all sorts of cases of civil nature up to the powers with which each Sub-Judge and Senior Subordinate Judge has been invested. The Senior Subordinate Judge and Sub-Judges are sometimes invested with additional magisterial powers.

Additional District Judge, Gurdaspur. – Additional District and Sessions Judge works as Additional District Judge on the civil side. Appeals against the judgements and decrees of Sub-Judges up to Rs 10,000 and cases under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, and Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, are heard by him.

Senior Subordinate Judge, Gurdaspur. – The Senior Subordinate Judge hears cases of rents, succession certificates, insolvency case, guardianship cases and appellate work up to a certain limit, suits under the torts and the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

Sub-Judges I Class. – All the Sub-Judges are Subordinate Judges who have been invested with the powers of unlimited jurisdiction of civil nature in their areas, including rent cases, succession certificates and others.

The following statements shows the number of cases tried by civil courts in the district, from 1965 to 1972 :-

Year		Pending from the previous year	Instituted during the year	Total for disposal	Disposed of during the year	Balance at the close of the year
1965	..	1,198	2,274	3,472	2,160	1,312
1966	..	1,312	2,481	3,783	2,439	1,354
1967	..	1,354	2,752	4,106	2,353	1,753
1968	..	1,753	2,958	4,711	2,792	1,919
1969	..	1,919	2,638	4,557	2,223	2,334
1970	..	2,334	2,332	4,666	2,491	2,175
1971	..	2,175	2,474	4,649	2,423	2,226
1972	..	2,226	2,143	4,369	2,393	1,976

(Source : District and Sessions Judge, Gurdaspur)

Criminal Justice,- The District and Session Judge, Gurdaspur, is incharge of administration of criminal justice in the district. He is assisted by an Additional District and sessions Judge and the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gurdaspur, along with 9 Judicial Magistrate –cum-Sub-Judges (4 posted at Gurdaspur, 2 at Pathankot and3 at Batala.) On the criminal side, the powers of the District Magistrate have been vested in the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gurdaspur. With the separation of the executive from the judiciary in the State on october2, 1964,the chief Judicial Magistrate, Gurdaspur, function under the supervision and control of the District and Session Judge, Gurdaspur.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate and Judicial Magistrates deal with all types of cases relating to crime except security cases. The Chief Judicial Magistrate is vested with the powers of a Judicial Magistrate 1 class, viz. power to try juvenile offenders, to require delivery of letters, telegrams, etc, to issue search warrants for documents in custody of postal or telegraph authorities; to release imprisoned for failing to give security under section 106; to order police investigations into a cognizable case; to entertain case with out complaints, to transfer cases to a subordinate magistrate, to report a case to High Court, etc.

All Judicial Magistrates try cases under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Punjab Excise Act, 1914, Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and other special Acts, relating to their police stations. They have the powers to direct warrant to landholders, to issue search warrant for discovery of persons wrongfully confined, to record statements and confessions during police investigation, to recover penalty on forfeited bond, to order released convicts to notify residence, etc. All criminals apprehended by the police are produced before the Judicial Magistrate in whose jurisdiction the criminals may have been apprehended or in whose jurisdiction the crime may have been committed.

After investigation, the police put up the challans in the courts of Judicial Magistrates who also act as Ilaka Magistrates and watch the investigation of criminal cases. The Judicial Magistrates have also been vested with the powers of Sub-Judges with varying jurisdiction.

Cases of security for keeping the peace and security for good behaviour, under the Criminal Procedure Code, after the separation of the executive from the judiciary, are tried by the Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Gurdaspur, Batala and Pathankot, relating to their respective sub-divisions. They are also called upon to perform executive functions in addition to the trial of above types of cases.

The following statement shows the number of criminal cases tried by the criminal courts in the district, during 1965 to 1972 :-

Period		Regular Cases	Security Cases	Summary Cases
1965	..	5,086	5,409	11,430
1966	..	5,211	4,900	11,612
1967	..	5,317	3,411	11,820
1968	..	5,305	4,186	9,210
1969	..	5,433	4,843	5,924
1970	..	6,436	4,843	3,346
1971	..	6,309	3,247	3,160
1972	..	3,882	1,544	13,380

(Source : District and Sessions Judge, Gurdaspur)

In addition to the developmental functions, the gram panchayats have also been assigned judicial functions, both civil and criminal, under the various enactments so that the villagers may get natural justice at minimum cost within the shortest possible period in the village itself.

The following table shows the judicial work done by the panchayats in the district, during 1967-68 to 1971-72 :-

Judicial work done by Panchayats in Gurdaspur District 1067-68 to 1971-72

		1967-68	1968-69	1969-70	1970-71	1971-72
REVENUE CASES
1. Cases pending at the beginning of the year	..	241	201	183	122	106
2. Cases instituted	..	195	196	97	76	78
3. Cases received by transfer	..	32	16	..	10	3
4. Cases transferred from Panchayats and cases returned for presentation to court	..	7	6	..	3	..
5. Cases decided	..	260	224	158	98	91
(a) Cases dismissed	..	52	28	22	13	10
(b) Cases compounded	..	166	141	88	78	67
(c) Cases decreed	..	42	55	48	7	14
6. Cases pending at the end of the year	..	201	183	122	106	96
CRIMINAL CASES
1. Cases pending at the beginning of the year	..	128	97	64	48	36
2. Cases instituted	..	210	172	131	85	83
3. Cases received by transfer	..	40	15	11	15	2
4. Cases transferred from Panchayats and cases returned for presentation to court	..	10	14	4	6	1
5. Cases decided	..	263	206	137	105	98
(a) Cases dismissed	..	85	30	14	28	43
(b) Cases compounded	..	166	197	116	74	53
(c) Cases decreed	..	12	9	7	3	2
6. Cases pending at the end of the year	..	97	64	48	36	22

(Source: Director, Panchayats, Punjab, Chandigarh)

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