Executive destroyed criminal justice system: Justice KS Grewal

Panchkula, June 7

A discussion on a book, “The Struggle for Police Reforms in India: Ruler’s Police to People’s Police”, written by Prakash Singh, former DGP (UP) and DG, BSF, was organised by the Commissionerate of Police, Panchkula, and the Legal Awareness and Free Legal Aid Women Society (LAFLAWS) here today.

Justice KS Grewal (retd), former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and former Judge of the UN Appeals Tribunal, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said the executive had destroyed the criminal justice system by not rewriting the CrPC and only making cosmetic changes to it. He said there were serious flaws in the system. The conviction rate was very low in the country while the time taken in providing justice was very long, he rued.

Appreciating Prakash Singh for his efforts in bringing police reforms, Justice Nawab Singh (retd) said he had not only filed public interest litigations but also worked for the upliftment of the common man. He said most of the heinous crimes were being investigated by low-level police officials while these should be investigated by senior and experienced police officers.

Earlier, Suresh Arora, former DGP of Punjab, said political interference was hindering the implementation of laws. He said only 1.12 per cent funds were being spent on the police force. Citing an example of Punjab, he said there were 432 police stations and most of these did not have their own building, leave alone the accommodation facilities for the police force. He said the government should provide good working environment, infrastructure and forensic laboratories in each police station.

Parkash Singh said, “We have a formidable police force of 3 million and 27,000 police stations in the country.” He said his dream was that police started working for the people by having compassion for them. He said the ambiance of the police stations had to change and he wanted the police force to metamorphose into people’s police.

PU Prof Emeritus Veer Singh, Haryana Chief Information Commissioner Vijay Vardhan, senior advocate Anupam Gupta, Panchkula Police Commissioner Hanif Qureshi, Upneet Lalli, Deputy Director, Institute of Correctional Administration, and Praveen K Sinha, DG, Punjab Human Rights Commission were among the panellists.