Patna: Police personnel found watching or making reels in uniform or while on duty have been warned of strict action with police headquarters keeping close watch on such behaviour. Director general of police (DGP) Vinay Kumar has directed that on-duty police personnel will not be allowed to watch reels on cellphones and that ‘dalals’ (middlemen) will not be permitted to operate in police stations. Any personnel found guilty of misconduct will face departmental action, including suspension. The DGP issued fresh instructions aimed at improving police behaviour and maintaining law and order in the state.In recent weeks, several incidents of misconduct by police personnel in the field have come to light. Videos and photographs showing police officers and constables misbehaving with members of the public went viral, adversely affecting the image of the force. Following these incidents, police headquarters sent out a strong message by initiating action ranging from suspension to transfer to police lines. A letter to this effect was issued recently.
The DGP said, “Misbehaviour at any level will not be tolerated. Immediate suspension and departmental action will be ensured against guilty police personnel. Recording details of visitors in the visitor register has been made mandatory to stop the entry of touts in police stations. Unnecessary mobile use during duty hours has also been banned. There were frequent complaints of constables and officials watching reels or chatting on mobile phones while on duty. All police personnel have also been directed to put uniformed photos as WhatsApp display pictures on official numbers.”Several cases of police misconduct have surfaced recently, leading to action against erring personnel. A video of a police officer slapping an anganwadi worker in Nalanda went viral, following which the officer was suspended. A woman police officer was sent to the police lines for slapping a person in Patna. A police constable was also suspended for misbehaving with a woman in Saran.
