The freak incident claiming the life of young engineering student and another fighting for his life in hospital is grim reminder of the fact how ill-trained and unscientific is the Traffic Police in Jammu. Chasing in police jeep two youth riding on a bike, who jumped a check point, and trying to hold on either of them from the moving jeep itself shows the police men on duty lack proper training. This is not a way to deal with any offender. The fault of the students was they did not stop at check point. They were not militants or hardened criminals or fugitives to chase and hunt like wild animals. In reality police has failed at many crucial instances to catch the culprits. The sordid episode reminds of colonial era and police system where a very deceptive police institution that is neither suitably trained nor equipped, has resulted in creating a police which fails in handling such small trivial offences. But at what price? One budding young life has been snapped another is struggling in hospital. Who is going to compensate for the colossal loss to the two families? Should not the over enthusiastic cop be booked under the law for culpable homicide not amounting to murder so that the ruling works as a pointer for other over-enthusiastic cops. Instead the department has suspended them and the ritualistic FIR registered. No doubt the Traffic Policewala has the right to stop any vehicle user for checking but does the clause of becoming physical or body contact is permissible under the law is the point in question here. And if the law does not permit body contact then the offending policemen deserve a tougher punishment.
