Questions raised over using guards as drivers, servants

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 14

Question are being asked how some judges and other officers have been using policemen provided for security as drivers and servants.

On the other hand, judges complain that they generally get discarded, disgruntled and homesick policemen as guards. They are citing Saturday’s incident to substantiate their charge.

“Senior officers of the police, including SPs and Police Commissioners, are indifferent when it comes to deployment of cops on security duty of judges. Only deadwood, disgruntled and homesick cops are deployed. In the Gurugram case too, senior police officers are admitting that Mahipal was mentally upset,” said Anubhav Sharma, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Palwal, and president of the Haryana Judges’ Association.

He said personal security of an officer was a sensitive issue and normally policemen of good physical and mental health should be assigned the duty.

A couple of judges allege they have to remain at the mercy of the SP whenever they are not satisfied with the gunman and want him changed.

They also say deploying CISF jawans or from some other Central forces would not be a bad idea.

“Everyone is aware how cops of the Haryana Police deployed with judges had fled, leaving the officers in the lurch at the time of Jat quota violence in February 2016,” said a judge.

Meanwhile, some IPS officers say policemen provided to officers as security guards are generally used as drivers against the norms.

“We have written to judges several times that personal security guards are not to be used as drivers or servants, but nothing has changed. What if a gunman driving a car is involved in an accident resulting in fatality to the other party. His job will be at stake,” said an IPS officer.

Sharma, however, denied the judges used their security guards as drivers in general.