Over 300 Cases Filed Against Madhya Pradesh Police Officers in Two Years: Accountability Crisis Exposed

Bhopal has emerged as the leading district with criminal cases filed against 48 police personnel

Bhopal:

The disturbing Mandsaur-Malhargarh incident, where a promising student was allegedly apprehended from a bus, subjected to physical abuse, and wrongfully charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, exemplifies a troubling pattern within the Madhya Pradesh Police force. While police officers are expected to uphold the law, official statistics reveal an alarming trend of law enforcement personnel becoming lawbreakers themselves.

According to official data presented by the Madhya Pradesh government in response to MLA Bala Bachchan's inquiry in the Assembly, 329 police personnel across the state have faced criminal charges under various legal provisions over the past two years. Among these cases, 61 remain under investigation, while 259 have progressed to the charge sheet stage.

The state capital Bhopal leads with 48 criminal cases against police personnel, followed by Gwalior with 27 cases. These statistics raise serious concerns about police conduct, particularly considering they persist despite significant police reform initiatives.

Even more concerning is the government's acknowledgment that after implementing the Police Commissioner system in major cities like Indore and Bhopal, crimes including robbery, theft, and vehicle theft have actually increased rather than decreased.

District-wise breakdown of cases against police personnel shows: Bhopal City - 48, Gwalior - 27, Seoni - 18, Indore Urban - 17, Indore Rural - 17, Guna - 17, and Balaghat - 13.

The abstract statistics gained a human dimension through the Mandsaur's Malhargarh police station case - ironically ranked as the ninth best police station nationally.

In this particular incident, the station in-charge, two sub-inspectors, and three constables have been suspended following accusations of framing a student by planting opium on him.

The victim, Sohanlal, is described by his family as an academically excellent student who passed Class 12 with first division honors and aspired to prepare for the Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations.

In an interview with NDTV, Sohanlal's brother, Kathiram Gulecha, detailed the harrowing experience.

"Sohanlal was traveling on a bus from Mandsaur to Pratapgarh for personal business. About 10 kilometers into the journey, three or four police officers boarded the bus, removed him in the morning, and by evening had arrested him on an NDPS charge. They detained him for six hours, physically assaulted him... Later that evening, they registered a case, presented him before the court, and he was subsequently imprisoned," he recounted.

Kathiram explained that Sohanlal had visited the Pashupatinath Temple in Mandsaur prior to the incident.

"Currently, Sohan is unable to speak coherently; he's experiencing depression and fear... he remains withdrawn and silent. He only mentioned that they forcibly removed him from the bus, confined him to a room, beat him, and then falsely charged him under the NDPS Act for refusing to pay money. He has no prior criminal record; we have no disputes with anyone that could involve us in legal troubles. We seek expeditious justice and stringent action against all those responsible," he added.

The case took a remarkable turn in the High Court when Mandsaur SP Vinod Meena himself admitted to serious misconduct by his officers. Appearing before Justice Subodh Abhyankar's division bench, he acknowledged the wrongful police action.

Meena informed the court that personnel from Malhargarh police station, including plainclothes officers, forcibly removed the young man from the bus, transported him to the police station, and falsely implicated him in a case involving possession of 2.5 kilograms of opium.

In an unusually candid and damaging admission, the SP also stated that the investigating officer had provided incorrect information to the court.