Editorial
Police killings
A deeper malaise
Strangled to death by unknown assailants, the dead body of Mizanur Rahman, an ASI of Ramna Police Station, was recovered by the police from Mirzapur. The incident follows the murder of police officer Gautam Roy in the city, barely two weeks back.
The situation certainly calls for immediate stern action as the law enforcers themselves are being targeted by killers whose identities and motives are yet to be revealed. It is really disquieting to learn that no fewer than 19 police officers have been killed by criminals since 2005. It seems the vulnerability of the law enforcers is now more pronounced than ever.
In both cases, it appears that the victims were somehow led into a trap by the killers and they failed to protect themselves. It is not known why they did not suspect anything while walking into the trap. It won't be an exaggeration to say that developing a "sixth sense" should be part of a police officer's training. Whatever might be the circumstances in which the police officers were killed, it is now obvious that the police, too, lack security. They are at times outnumbered and outmaneuvered by hardened criminals carrying sophisticated weapons.
So, the vulnerability of the police may have a lot to do with availability and proliferation of small arms and the law enforcers' inability to contain the latest wave of criminal activities.
People in general have reason to be worried. If the police are unable to deal with criminals, what can the unarmed, innocent citizens do against them? They feel even more worried when the police fail to identify and arrest their killers. The point is relevant since the police have not made much headway in resolving the Gautam murder case.
The police bosses addressed the issue of what they called "secret killings" in a meeting held on Tuesday. Certainly, such killings greatly undermine the rule of law. But before the police can handle such matters, they must be in a position to defend themselves. The law enforcers have to be trained and given the necessary logistical support to face the criminals now even unhesitant to murder police officers. In other words, the police must be a lot more efficient and equipped to face any eventuality.
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