LAW AND ORDER AND JUSTICE
Situated towards the east of river Satluj and included in the protected Cis-Satuj territories, Ludhiana had been under the political or direct administration of the British since the conclusion of the treaty of Amritsar in 1809. The natural consequence of the position assumed by the British Government, at the request of chiefs in the areabetween the rivers Satluj and the Yamuna, was that the petty principalities continued to enjoy complete independence in their internal administration under the paramount British authority. In the course of the years, however, several chiefships lapsed and the British Government, whose political Agent was already functioning in the town of Ludhiana, acquired strips of territory around the station.
After the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1846 the possessions of the Lahore Darabr to the south of the river were confiscated and most of the protected Chiefs having failed in their duty to the paramount power lost their Faujdari powers. The Cis-Satluj possession under the direct administration of the British having considerably increased, a Commissioner with proportionate supporting staff was appointed to administer the district. The same system of administration as was carried out in the subsequently annexed Punjab had already been introduced there. after the annexation of the kingdom of Lahore in 1849, the Cis-Satluj areas were placed on the same footing as the rest of the territories under the Board of Administration. The principles of administrations, civil, criminal and police, did not differ from those followed in the rest of the Punjab. The district practically assumed its present in 1850.
Under the new administrative set-up, the Deputy Commissioner was called upon to organise effective police control, take possession of forts and public buildings and make necessary arrangements for the prevention and detection of crime. The arrangements continued till 1857, when, as a result of large scale disturbances in the district, radical changes were required to be made in the Police Administration.
There existed since the year 1848 a Branch Thugee Office at Ludhiana for the suppression of this type of heinous crime in the Cis-Satluj territories. This agency, of which the district officer for the time being was the ex-officio Superintendent, did useful work for several years. It was abolished towards the close of 1853 because it had been rendered unnecessary as a result of the general measures adopted for the eradication of the crime throughout the province. During the last of its existence 12 Thugs were arrested, of whom 5 were committed, five released on security and 2 acquitted. Of the five committed, 4 were transported for life and one was placed on security.
The returns of crime for the year 1852 were the earliest statistics which could be treated as reasonably accurate or comprehensive. The figures when classified into broad different categories greatly helped the proper understanding of the incidence of crime. The analysis of the figures not only revealed to what degree the Police had functioned efficiently : but also brought to light the custom and habits of certain criminal groups and the contributive causes responsible for the commission of various crimes in the district. The analysis of the principle forms of crime thus presented a vivid picture of the state of society in the early years of British rule in the Punjab.
(a) Incidence of Crime. – “When reference is made to the condition of this part of the country preceding Annexation (1849)”, observes H.Davidson, “I do not think it astonishing, that generally the population should have been notorious for criminal propensities, especially highway robbery, and theft of all sorts. Independently of this, there are certainly some castes, Baoreas, Harness, etc., scattered among the population, whom no system of Government may be able entirely to reclaim1.” The propensity of crime decreased with the establishment of police posts and, in 1883, T. Gordon Walker observed that “the masses of the people are quite contented and law-abiding. The exceptions are the Gujars, perhaps the Rajputs, the criminal tribes of Harnis, etc., and to these I may add the rable of the towns. I do not think that the people of the District have a predilection for any special form of crime, most of the serious offences coming under the heads of theft and burglary. The Gujars in the Bet do a good deal of cattle-lifting………………. The Rajputs do not go beyond gambling. The Harnis, Baurias and other professional criminal classes are not showing many signs of regeneration under our (British) rule, and to their account a great deal of the crime is not more than normal, and the District will compare favourably with most in the province2.”
1. G.
C. Barnes, Report on the Revised Settlement of the District of Ludhiana, 1859,
p. 31.
2. T. Gordon Walker, Final Report on the
Revision of Settlement of the Ludhiana district, 1878-88, p. 149.
On the re-organisation of the Police under the Act of 1861, prompt measure werer taken do check the crime which had already shown an upward trend. It was realised that certain classes of habitual offenders were responsible for increased incidence. The system of registering of such persons in a special community. Similarly suspected characters with loose habits and doubtful means of livelihood were also required to be watched by the police. To obtain correct information about this class of persons the headman or other respectable members of the village community were required to be consulted. The most important of the bad characters were the gypsy tribes known as the Sansis or Baurias, who were well known for their shady habits. The ordinary penal procedure totally failed to repress their activities. As a long range policy Reformatories were organised for their rehabilitation in to normal life.
The Indian Penal Code came in to force on January 1. 1862. Measures were taken to systematic the procedure enabling the police to deal more effectively with organised crime. The help of Col.Hervey, Superintendent General of Thuggee and Dacoity operations in the native States, was sought to discover the binding places of the plunderes, who infested the territories of the native States. Thus certain crimes which formerly were very prevalent in the Punjab were altogether suppressed as a result of Police exertions. Child stealing. Importation of slaves and counterfeiting of coins which were generally marked by alterations of waste and cultivation, nearly all highways passed through some desolate localities. That many of these places should be infested with highway men was hardly surprising. Steady measures were adopted to ensure safety on the roads, to establish police posts and to arrange for patrolling by footmen and horsemen.
The partition of the Punjab plunged the newly constituted East Punjab province into carnage with all its dire consequences. Even thought the communal frenzy died down in the wake of mass migration, the resulting disequilibrium created a host of problems for the Police. Along with the refugees a large number of confirmed bad characters and members of criminal tribes came across the border and took full advantage of the disturbed conditions. A special staff was accordingly organised to spot out criminals who had crossed the border before they could establish local contacts. The Police found the task very difficult because all the important files and records of these criminals were left at Lahore.
Apart from the grim background and the unfortunate aftermath of the partition a large number of other factors were also responsible for the sudden increase in the incidence of crime and decline in the efficiency of the Police force. The communal disturbance and the widespread rioting and violent crime had produced in the public mind a diminishing respect for law and moral values. The tendency towards general lawlessness and false notion of freedom appeared to have been the main causes of the weakening of the forces of law and order. Consequently, some unimportant local quarrels which could easily have been checked in the past by the local authorities no longer subsided very early but led to greater violence. The wholesome fear of law was no longer a restraining force. Whereas in the past a Thanedar could deal with the situation single-handed even senior officers found themselves seriously handicapped or even helpless as a result of improper local influence.
With the abolition of the non-official agencies like Honorary Magistrates, Zalidars and “Sufaidposhes’, which rendered useful assistance to the Government, in 19483, the police was deprived of valuable support in its work in rural area. Their removal was inevitable under the new democratic set-up established in the country. Consequent upon the establishment of the Panchayati Raj in the Punjab in 1961, the Sarpanches and Panches are expected to play their full part in the day-to-day work of the administration and in the maintenance of law and order.
3.
The institutions of Zaildari and Sufaidposhi were revived in 1950 ; but
were again abolished in 1952.
The Criminal Tribes Act was repealed and replace by the Habitual Offenders (Control and Reform) Act of 1952. As a result of lifting of restrictions on ex-criminal tribes large number of bad characters were to be carefully watched. This was particularly necessary in urban areas where the ex-criminal tribes could find suitable opportunities for theft and burglaries. Several gangs of dangerous and hardened professional criminals were brought to light. A special staff has been created since 1960 to enforce the provisions of the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and girls Act, 1956. Steps have also been taken to establish Boys Clubs in important towns to wean away delinquents from crime and immorality.
An idea regarding the trend of crime of all kinds brought to trial in the district during the years 1956-65 may be had from the following table:-
|
Year |
Reported Cases |
True Cases |
|
1956 |
5,196 |
2,778 |
|
1957 |
5,577 |
4,200 |
|
1958 |
5,677 |
3,348 |
|
1959 |
6,057 |
6,148 |
|
1960 |
6,742 |
6,397 |
|
1961 |
5,761 |
5,639 |
|
1962 |
8,411 |
7,123 |
|
1963 |
8,325 |
8,,169 |
|
1964 |
9,773 |
9,634 |
|
1965 |
11,958 |
10,217 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Murder. – Illicit sexual relations, domestic quarrels, blood feuds, land disputes, lure of property, canal water disputes, personal enmity, party factions, etc., are the common causes of the crime. Sometimes murders are committed after thoughtful planning and the culprits take care to leave no clues behind. Thus it becomes difficult for the police to trace them out. The result in many such cases is the acquittal of the accused persons and failure of law to bring the culprit to book. The incidence of murder is mainly confined to rural areas where party factions and disputes over women and land culminated in the commission of this heinous crime. Once the game is started, its chain of revengeful action often continues for decades despite strict surveillance by the local police. It is also a fortuitous crime and is sometimes committed over minor and trifling issues in a sudden outburst of anger. In such cases, no amount of police alertness can prevent it.
The following table illustrates the incidence of murder in the district during the period 1956-65 :-
|
Year |
Reported Cases |
True Cases |
|
1956 |
42 |
43 |
|
1957 |
31 |
40 |
|
1958 |
38 |
30 |
|
1959 |
45 |
67 |
|
1960 |
32 |
59 |
|
1961 |
30 |
39 |
|
1962 |
35 |
19 |
|
1963 |
27 |
27 |
|
1964 |
39 |
27 |
|
1965 |
40 |
36 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Dacoity. – As the following table shows, the district remained immune from the incidence of dacoity during the period 1956-65 except for 1962. The single case reported during 1962 was also of an ordinary nature and no gang as such was responsible for it.
|
Year |
No of Cases |
|
1956 |
- |
|
1957 |
- |
|
1958 |
- |
|
1959 |
- |
|
1960 |
- |
|
1961 |
- |
|
1962 |
1 |
|
1963 |
- |
|
1964 |
- |
|
1965 |
- |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Robbery. - As in the case of dacoities, the district has shown considerable improvement in the incidence of robberies. Systematic naka bandis and extensive patrolling of strategic points are mainly responsible for keeping this crime under effective control. The following table depicts the position of the crime during the period 1956-65:-
|
Year |
Reported Cases |
|
1956 |
20 |
|
1957 |
8 |
|
1958 |
8 |
|
1959 |
8 |
|
1960 |
2 |
|
1961 |
5 |
|
1962 |
4 |
|
1963 |
- |
|
1964 |
2 |
|
1965 |
1 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Burglary. – There was not much fluctuation in the incidence of this crime in the district during the period, 1956-65, except for the years 1960, and 1961 when the number of cases reported under this head was 194 and 179, respectively. The incidence of the crime ranged between 271 (in 1957) to 232 (in v1962). Vigilant patrolling, appropriate use of preventive sections of the Criminal Procedure Code, enforcement of villagers’ responsibility for patrolling, rounding up the untraced criminals and bad characters and intelligent and efficient investigation by the District Central Intelligence Agency are the main factors which have brought considerable reduction in the incidence of the crime.
The proportion of the untraced burglaries is no doubt high ; but there are certain factors which militate against the successful working out of these cases. The possible clues which are valuable for tracing out such cases are generally destroyed by the ignorant people who gather at the spot after the occurrence. In some cases, the complainants, lay suspicions on innocent persons on account of their personal enmity or disputes.
The incidence of burglary in the district during the years 1956 to 195 is given in the following table :-
|
Year |
Cases brought forward from previous year |
Cases reported during the year |
Cases admitted |
Cases tried |
Cases convicted |
Cases untraced |
|
1956 |
35 |
254 |
286 |
78 |
68 |
153 |
|
1957 |
58 |
271 |
321 |
85 |
63 |
169 |
|
1958 |
75 |
263 |
538 |
92 |
76 |
158 |
|
1959 |
88 |
262 |
349 |
68 |
62 |
191 |
|
1960 |
81 |
194 |
273 |
38 |
30 |
120 |
|
1961 |
26 |
179 |
203 |
48 |
34 |
-- |
|
1962 |
76 |
232 |
304 |
33 |
20 |
98 |
|
1963 |
118 |
223 |
354 |
82 |
58 |
57 |
|
1964 |
132 |
272 |
393 |
102 |
67 |
61 |
|
1965 |
150 |
236 |
381 |
68 |
35 |
109 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Rioting. – Riots generally take place in rural areas. Disputes over land and personal rivalries on account of party faction are responsible for the incidence of this crime. Experience has shown that the parties, who fall out on momentary passions, come to senses after some time and patch up their differences by the time the case are put in court. The results of such cases are, therefore, poor.
The following table gives the incidence of riots in the district during 1956 to 1965:-
|
Year |
No of cases reported |
|
1956 |
20 |
|
1957 |
6 |
|
1958 |
13 |
|
1959 |
8 |
|
1960 |
12 |
|
1961 |
5 |
|
1962 |
7 |
|
1963 |
2 |
|
1964 |
14 (plus 2 for Police Station Payal) |
|
1965 |
5 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
The figures show that there has been an appreciable improvement during the period. The number of cases reported during 1963 was the lowest.
Theft. – The incidence of ordinary theft has shown as upward trend and mostly the increase has been reported from urban areas. tremendous increase in the population of Ludhiana city due to rapid industrialization spread over a vast and ever expanding area, resulting area, resulting in influx of a large labour force of unknown antecedents and little corresponding increase in the strength of the police force are the main causes leading to an increase in thefts.
The labourers have come to this city from far off places and it is difficult for the local police to verify their antecedents, particularly of those who have come from other states. Quite a number of these workers and rickshaw-pullers have shady past and commit thefts.
Thefts in rural areas of the district take place in small numbers, firstly, because the village abadis are small and the inhabitants known each other, and secondly, the rural population through improved agricultural implements and practices also rise in the prices of agricultural produce have brought prosperity to the people thereby eliminating the raison d’etre for theft.
The following table gives the incidence of theft in the district from 1956 to 1965:-
|
Year |
Cases reported |
Total cases dealt with (including those pending for the last year) |
Cases admitted |
Cases tried |
Cases convicted |
|
1956 |
320 |
64 |
371 |
162 |
115 |
|
1957 |
391 |
76 |
449 |
159 |
109 |
|
1958 |
428 |
140 |
551 |
189 |
136 |
|
1959 |
411 |
102 |
503 |
130 |
109 |
|
1960 |
366 |
128 |
491 |
95 |
61 |
|
1961 |
325 |
55 |
370 |
99 |
64 |
|
1962 |
409 |
127 |
524 |
108 |
75 |
|
1963 |
403 |
153 |
507 |
126 |
73 |
|
1964 |
562 |
195 |
731 |
148 |
100 |
|
1965 |
548 |
376 |
907 |
115 |
74 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Cattle Lifting. – This crime is mostly prevalent in rural areas. its incidence has shown a progressive decrease as borne out by the following decennial table for the years 1956 to 1965 :-
|
Year |
Cases brought forward from previous year |
Cases reported during the year |
Total cases dealt with |
True cases |
Cases tried |
Cases convicted |
|
1956 |
2 |
10 |
12 |
10 |
4 |
4 |
|
1957 |
5 |
15 |
20 |
20 |
8 |
6 |
|
1958 |
5 |
17 |
22 |
22 |
6 |
5 |
|
1959 |
6 |
17 |
23 |
22 |
7 |
6 |
|
1960 |
5 |
9 |
14 |
14 |
4 |
3 |
|
1961 |
3 |
14 |
17 |
15 |
1 |
1 |
|
1962 |
7 |
12 |
19 |
18 |
5 |
4 |
|
1963 |
6 |
13 |
19 |
12 |
6 |
3 |
|
1964 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
|
1965 |
4 |
11 |
15 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Traffic in Women. – The crime under this head did not show noticeable variation during the decade from 1956-65. The greatest difficulty in curbing this type of crime is that most of the cases are ultimately found to be of consent in which the young girls willingly elope with their paramours. Some of the cases are, however, registered simply on administrative and moral grounds even though the girls are known to be above the age of consent (i.e., 18 years) and to have willingly gone with their consorts. In such cases the primary concern of the police is to restore the kidnapped women to the parents.
Kidnapping is a social evil and the police can hardly plan an effective role in curbing it. In rare cases, economic distress may lead to kidnapping but mostly it takes place for immoral purpose. Laxity of moral values, lack of education, and allurement of voluptuous life sometimes result in the elopement of innocent girls. The reported cases of kidnapping and abduction were isolated in character, and not the work of any organizes gangs.
The incidence of crime under this head during 1956 to 1965 is given below :
|
Year |
Cases reported |
|
|
1956 |
25 |
|
|
1957 |
27 |
|
|
1958 |
29 |
|
|
1959 |
32 |
|
|
1960 |
33 |
|
|
1961 |
46 |
|
|
1962 |
34 |
|
|
1963 |
35 |
|
|
1964 |
34 |
|
|
1965 |
41 |
|
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
During the last few years, no case under the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act, 1956, has been registered in the district. Under the Act, no brothel or place of ill-repute is allowed to be set up.
Cheating. – With the rapid
industrialisation and urbanization of Ludhiana, the incidence of cheating has
shown marked increase. Most of the
cases are reported to the police by the parties in order to settle certain
disputes of civil nature. A good number
of these are ultimately compromised by the parties and this factor accounts for
the low percentage of convictions.
The number of cases of cheating, reported in the district during 1956-65,
are given below :
|
Year |
Cases reported |
|
1956 |
44 |
|
1957 |
33 |
|
1958 |
34 |
|
1959 |
27 |
|
1960 |
26 |
|
Year |
Cases reported |
|
1961 |
39 |
|
1962 |
35 |
|
1963 |
25 |
|
1964 |
50 |
|
1965 |
50 |
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Offences under Local and Special Laws. - The offences under this head
comprise cases under the Police, Arms, Excise, Opium, Gambling, Essential
Commodities, Railways, Prevention of Corruption Acts, etc. The number of cases reported under the
various Local and Special Acts, during the period 1956 to 1965, are given in
the following table :-
|
Year |
Police act of
1888 (cases of Public nuisance) |
Arms act 1878/ 1959 |
Excise Act 1914 |
Opium Act 1878 |
Public Gamb-ing
Act, 1867 |
Essential
Commo-dities Act, 1955 |
Indian Rail way Act |
Prevention of
Corrup-tion Act, 1947 |
Defence of
India Rules, 1942 |
|
|
1956 |
2,971 |
65 |
501 |
174 |
186 |
- |
8 |
4 |
- |
|
|
1957 |
3,214 |
63 |
597 |
46 |
284 |
- |
14 |
16 |
- |
|
|
1958 |
2,724 |
79 |
554 |
488 |
345 |
- |
14 |
15 |
- |
|
|
1959 |
3,080 |
147 |
614 |
500 |
283 |
- |
8 |
7 |
- |
|
|
1960 |
3,358 |
153 |
698 |
560 |
139 |
- |
10 |
11 |
- |
|
|
1961 |
2,508 |
264 |
881 |
550 |
179 |
- |
8 |
4 |
- |
|
|
1962 |
4,852 |
391 |
887 |
586 |
277 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
- |
|
|
1963 |
4,447 |
121 |
997 |
943 |
297 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
18 |
|
|
1964 |
5,496 |
70 |
965 |
1,023 |
329 |
16 |
11 |
4 |
4 |
|
|
1965 |
7,470 |
68 |
1,201 |
909 |
347 |
2 |
10 |
7 |
26 |
|
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Incidence of Motor Vehicle Accident. – Ludhiana district being in the centre of the State, vehicular traffic
from all points of the State passes through it. The State buses, carrying passengers from various districts of
the State, also pass through it. The
heavy goods traffic from Delhi and Kashmir is also channeled through this
district. The roads, particularly in
urban areas of the district, are very narrow.
The Grand Trunk Road passes through the heart of the Ludhiana city. With the rapid industrial and commercial
development of Ludhiana, the population of the city has increased by leaps and
bounds with the result that there is a great congestion on the roads of the
city. The vehicular traffic,
particularly on the G. T. Road, has increased enormously. The construction of the Bye-Pass has not
much lessened the pressure on the G. T. Road.
All these factors have resulted in increase in the number of
accidents. The prosecutions for traffic
offences, launched under the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, in the district,
during the period 1956 to 1965, are given below :
|
Year |
Prosecution launched |
|
|
1956 |
1,652 |
|
|
1957 |
2,474 |
|
|
1958 |
3,481 |
|
|
1959 |
2,244 |
|
|
1960 |
2,777 |
|
|
1961 |
3,767 |
|
|
1962 |
3,104 |
|
|
1963 |
4,602 |
|
|
1964 |
5,634 |
|
|
1965 |
5,592 |
|
(Source : Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana)
Road Traffic. – Besides the
Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, sections 279, 337, 338 and 304-A of the Indian Penal
Code, the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, and the Municipal Bye-laws, the State
Carriages Act, XVI of 1961, the Police Act of 1888, the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals Act, 1890 the Punjab Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1924, and the
Hackney-Carriage Act, 1879, regulate the road traffic. The number of prosecutions launched under
the various Acts, during 1963-65, is given below :
|
Name of the Act |
Year |
||
|
|
1963 |
1964 |
1965 |
|
Indian Penal Code |
104 |
112 |
136 |
|
Municipal Act and Municipal Bye-Laws |
8766 |
6478 |
695 |
|
Stage-Carriages Act |
- |
155 |
329 |
|
|
1963 |
1964 |
1965 |
|
Police Act |
4415 |
5496 |
7470 |
|
Prevention of cruelty to Animals Act |
156 |
171 |
- |
|
Punjab Motor-Vehicles Taxation Act |
4062 |
5635 |
5592 |
|
Hackney-Carriages Act |
147 |
171 |
690 |
(Source: Superintendent of Police, Ludhiana
and Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ludhiana)
(b)
History and Organisation of police
(1) History of Police
The political condition created in the Punjab on the deterioration of the
Mughal rule and the repeated invasions of Ahmed Shah Abdali from the north west in the latter half of the 18th century
called for some satisfactory arrangement for security of life and property.
This was done under the “Rakhi” system envolved by the Sikh Misls who assumed
political control of the areas conquered by them. The system thus organised,
through far from satisfactory according to modern standards, suited the needs,
of the people and the times. The chiefs or the misaldars, though vested with
uncontrolled power, knew well how essential peace and order were for the
prosperity of the people under their control. Even though there was no written
Penal Code, the whole procedure was simple and direct. Quite often the Sardar
squatted on the ground among his subjects and decided the cases on the spot.
Sturdy common sense was applied for the settlement of disputes. The rough and
ready system of criminal justice under the Misls suited the people in the
peculiar conditions that prevailed in the country. Infact, the closely knit
villages community served as an instrument for the maintenance of law and
order. The sense of insecurity, scanty means of communications and the need for
resistence to wandering groups of
robbers had made every village self-reliant. The age old Panchayat system
served the purpose of local Government. The panchayat maintained law and order,
restrained the stronger and protected the weaker. The functioning of the village panchayat, as an effective agency
in the maintenance of law and order has been praised by many foreign visitors
to the Punjab before the advent of the British rule.
The method of summary trial and prompt punishment was continued by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Under his benevolent rule special steps were taken to establish law and order . His personal
vigilance and constant attention to the prosperity of the people seem to have
been responsible for the success of rough
and ready system. It is all the more remarkable when it is noted that
there was no organised police force for the purpose nor any restrictions were
imposed on the possession of arms. The undisturbed peace throughout his rule
appeared to be the result of willing obedience of his subjects.
During the anarchy after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh , highway
robbers and dacoits flourished in the
Punjab “as storm birds of a tempest society ” The Board of Administration set
up after the annexation of the Punjab in 1849 had to face a serious problem of
law and order so sessential for the
existence of an orderly society. A well- organised polish force had ,therefore,
to be urgently created to deal properly with highway robbers and dacoits who
were ravaging the countryside. The police organisation under the Board
comprised two wings, namely, the preventive Police with a Military
Organisation, and the Detective Police with a civil Organisation. The Military
Police consisted of foot and horse. Some faithful troopers of the Lahore Darbar had been enlisted under four British
Officers designated as Police Captains.
The detective Civil Police was sub-divided into regular establishment
paid by the State, the city watchmen ; and the total constabulary paid b the people. in the Cis-Satluj territories including
Ludhiana district, the duties of organised police were taken over by the Four
Sikh Local Corps raised for the purpose in 1846 and a Regiment of irregular
cavalry. The rural constabulary formed
the lowest by no means the least important grade. One of the earliest measures taken by the Board was the
organisation grade. One of the earliest
measures taken by the Board was the organisation of this important body
throughout the villages.
The vigorous and vigilant efforts or the Board were largely successful in
laying the foundation of a well-organised Police system in the Punjab. To the people harassed by persistent
lawlessness and two wars the newly established Police system brought much
needed relief. The stern measures taken
to restore settled conditions in the early stages greatly helped reduce crime
and enjoyed the support of vast numbers of society. The Police organisation, though rough and rudimentary in
character, was responsible for the restoration of peace and order and general
respect for law.
The broad frame work of the Police Organisation in the Punjab under the
Board was continued during the regime of the Chief Commissioner which replaced
it in 1953. The force was, however,
enlarged and re-organised according to requirements of the situation and
incidence of crime.
On the restoration of normal conditions after the Great Revolt of 1857
the question of reform and reorganization of the police in the Punjab engaged
the attention of the Government. It
was, however, acknowledged that the early Police Batallions had made a
commendable contribution for the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the
province in the face of trying circumstances.
In 1860 radical reforms were initiated in the police establishment in
order to reduce the expenditure and to reorganize it in a more effective
manner. Certain changes on the new
lines had already been introduced in some districts as an experimental measure. The far-reaching reforms proposed under the
Indian Police Act V of 1861 were welcomed by the Punjab Government and were
implement without any difficulty or delay.
The Act was a landmark in the history of Police Organisation throughout
India. It put an end to the different
systems by which the police in various parts of India were governed at the
time. The Act, as stressed in the
preamble, was enacted for the primary purpose of making the police force
throughout British India an effective instrument in the prevention and
detection of crime. To begin with, the
operation of the new Act was limited to the territories to the eastern side of
Indus. A regular Police Department was
established as a Separate Department of Government. In each district, the Organisation was placed under the control
of a Superintendent of Police. The
subordinate grades were designated as Inspectors, Deputy Inspectors, Sergeants
and Constables. The thana Police
and the city watchmen were fused into one and organised as a regular
constabulary. The subsequent growth and
development of police system in the Punjab more or less followed the salient
features of the Act of 1861. Suitable
modifications and alterations have been made according to the requirements of
the time but the main principles have been followed for the last over 100
years.
There
was a marked decrease in crime in 1863 as compared with 1859. Presumably the improved results had accursed
from the new reforms effected in 1861.
In 1875 special attention was paid to improve the general tone of the
police force in Punjab. Rules for
training and examination of probationers were adopted in 1876. In 1882 a competitive examination for
recruitment to higher ranks was recommended.
This may be regarded as the forerunner of the modern competitive system
for the recruitment of candidates for superior
police service. The training of the higher echelon was made as through
as possible with the establishment of the Police Training School at Phillaur in
1891. The most important changes in the organisation of the police force were
effected by the decision of 1894 to recruit a certain proportion of Assistant
District Superintendents by open competition and the appointment in 1896 of
Commissioners of Divisions as ex-officio Deputy Inspectors-General for the
purpose of prevention and detection of crime.
Unlike other provinces, the Punjab Government did not think it necessary
to appoint a Committee to enquire into the working of the Police
Organisation. But within a decade the
law and order situation in the province took a turn for the worse and the
Government was constrained to appoint a Committee under the presidentship of
Mr. C.M. Tupper, C.S.I., in October, 1899.
The main object was to strengthen the police administration with special
regard to the state of crime, which had become serious in certain localities in
the province. The recommendations of
the Committee, however, could not be sanctioned because a new Commission to go
into the Police Organisation on all-India level was appointed by Lord Curzon
under the presindentship of Mr. Frazer in 1902.
Complaints
of grave abuses in the working of the police and consequent deterioration in
the judicial and general administration had necessitated the appointment of the
Commission. The report of the
Commission released in 1903 was hailed as a valuable document. The Government of India acknowledged the
admirable character of the report. As a
result of thorough investigation various useful suggestions were made to
improve the working of the police organisation. Among other reforms the discipline of the police of the police
was entrusted entirely to the Police Officers.
the Deputy Commissioner (the District Magistrate) or the Commissioner
was in no way to interfered with the internal administration of the Police
force in the district. The District
Superintendent of Police was to carry out the orders of the District Magistrate
; but he was not his Assistant in the sense the Assistant Collector was. The opening of higher ranks to Indian, even
though in a very small number to begin with, attracted a better and more highly
educated class of people with the result that more improvement in the
efficiency and popularity of the police was soon discernible. In 1905 direct recruitment to the rank of
Sub-Inspector was started.4
The foundation of the Criminal Investigation Department, popularly known
as C.I.D. was laid. For administrative
purposes the province was divided into 3 ranges-eastern, central and western
and the posts of Additional D.I.G.s were created in the C.I.D. and the Railway
police Branches.
4. Towards the close of the19th Century, the
police force in the district was controlled by a District Superintendent of
Police. In 1904, he was assisted by an
Inspector and 15 Deputy Inspectors, and the strength of the police force was as
under :-
As
soon as extra heavy pressure on the police entailed by duties during World War
I was removed, the Punjab Government set up in 1925 a Provincial Police
Committee under the presidentship of Mr.
O.F. Lumsden, I.C.S. (Retried).
The terms of reference included the consideration of the strength of
police establishment existing in each district, suggestions for possible
reduction in the duties allotted to the police and adequacy or otherwise of the
integrity of the force. The Committee
found the existing strength of 10 constables at each rural police station
grossly insufficient. It recommended
that for an ordinary police station with 150 sq. miles of area that registered
75 cases a year, two Investigating Officers with a Head Constable Clerk and 12
Constables should be provided. The
recommendation was implemented in respect of the majority of police
stations. In towns with a population of
5,000 or more watchmen were recommended to be substituted by the regular
policemen. The report made a
comprehensive survey of the needs and requirements of the police force and its
proper distribution. Its
recommendations worked well upto the commencement of world War II in 1939.
The
exceptional increase in the cases of burglary during 1938 considered at a
Police conference held at Lahore. It
was of the opinion that burglaries could not be investigated through the agency
of the Station House Officer (S.H.O.) alone and it was, therefore, essential to
provided special staff to deal with the crime.
The conference recommended the Organisation of the Central Investigation
Agency as an integral part of the police force in each district. A separate Inspector as Incharge of the
C.I.A, of each district was expected to cope with the cases of burglary as also
with the murder problems.
|
Class of police |
|
Total strength |
Distribution |
|
|
|
Standing guards |
Protection and Detection |
||
|
District Imperila |
.. |
|
|
362 |
|
Municipal |
.. |
|
|
117 |
|
Total |
.. |
|
|
479 |
(Ludhiana District
Gazetteer, 1904, p. 217.)
The conference recommended that with the
object of encouraging public co-operation rewards for public assistance should
be given more liberally. The gazetted
officers and Inspectors were advised to collect village officials and hold
meetings to encourage public co-operation.
The
forties of the century were a period of great stress and strain for the police
not only owing to the conditions created by World War II, but also because of
the great political upheaval in the country. Secret preparation for “Direct
Action” further worsened the situated
from the point of view of law and order.
The
partition of the Punjab not only created an unprecedented problem of law and order
but also completely paralysed the Police Organisation in the province. Apart
from the administrative division of the Police personnel and assets the most
disquieting factor in the process was the mass migration of members of certain
communities from West to East Punjab
and vice versa. The trickle of movement which had started before the actual
partition as a consequence of communal disturbances very soon became a torrent
immediately after the fateful 15th August, 1947. The wholesale transfer of communities
was utterly unexpected and had been caused by the force of circumstances. The
number of persons moving from one direction to the other exceeded the wildest
calculation of the respective Government, who were, therefore, found utterly
unprepared for the greatest exodus in history.
Before
the Government in the newly created province of the East Punjab could get into
the saddle, it was literally, overwhelmed with the inflow of refugees. The
arrival of millions of persons in to the East Punjab disrupted the whole administration and created a situation
without any parallel. Large numbers of refugees were completely demoralized on
account of want and destitution. They were highly susceptible to crime. In the
face of the critical problem prompt action had to be taken to restore law and
order in the new State
The police force had to bear the
brunt of the after effects of partition and the trail persisted long
afterwards. In the United Punjab the Muslims constituted aproximately 67 per
cent of the total strength of the police and
after their departure to West Punjab, the total balance of barely 33
percent of non-Muslim members of the force was called upon to deal with the
situation the like of which had not been known to the history of mankind. The chaotic conditions of law and order were
further aggravated by acute economic depression and unsettled conditions of
life, which resulted in the wake of mass migration. The depleted police force had thus to perform a gigantic task and
to combat heavy lawlessness in order to restore law and order in the new State.
Immediately
after the partition measures were adopted to make up the serious deficiency in
the police force ; new training centres for the recruits were opened and
training facilities were enlarged at the Training School, Phillaur. On the restoration of normal conditions
further steps were taken to put the police force on sound footing.
Under
the new national set-up after Independence of the country, the duties of the
police force have to be re orientated.
They are no longer an engine of oppression and not merely to be looked
upon with feelings of terror and horror.
They have to assume the new role of the servants of the people and the
guardians of law and order. The changed conditions called for a review of the
needs and the problems of the police as well as re-orientation of their
outlook, and administration.
Accordingly, the State Government, in 1961, constituted the Punjab
Police Commission under the Chairmanship of Shri Mehar Chand Mahajan, former
Chief Justice of India, to enquire and report on the paramount need for the
security of the State, measures for controlling meetings, demonstrations,
police-public co-operation and cognate matters.5
5. Although the Report of the Punjab Commission, 1961,
has not yet been released, its recommendations were out in May, 1962, and are
being implemented by Government.