Law enforcement in India

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

India has a multitude of Law Enforcement agencies. All agencies are part of the Internal Affairs Ministry (Home Ministry). At the very basic level is the local police which is under state jurisdiction.

1 Police
- 1.1 State Police
- 1.2 Metropolitan Police
2 Central Bureau of Investigations
3 Criminal Investigations Department
4 Home Guards
5 Railway Protection Force
6 Central Reserve Police Force
7 Central Industrial Security Force
8 National Security Guards
9 Narcotics Control Bureau
10 Selection and Training
11 Police transport

[edit] Police

The police is under the state jurisdiction. The police reports to the state home department.

[edit] State Police

Each state has a state police force, headed by the DGP (Director General of Police). The state police is responsible for maintaining law and order in townships of the state and the rural areas. Top police officers are the Directors General, Inspectors General of Police (IGP) who look after various departments of the police, such as law and order, training, intelligence, technical services, etc., report to the DGP.

Some state forces are organized into Police Ranges, headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police, which controls several Police Districts.
The Police District is the fulcrum of State Police activity and each Police district of the state is headed by a Superintendent of Police.
The Police District is divided into Police Sub-Divisions and will be under the command of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy.SP a state police officer) or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP a Indian Police Service Officer).
The Police Sub Division would be having one or more Police Circles, and would be under the command of an Inspector of Police often referred to as the Circle Inspector (CI).
Under the Police Circles are the police stations, generally under the control of a Sub-Inspector or SI. As per the various Indian laws, Sub Inspector (and above) are the only officers who can file a charge sheet in the court. Officers below this rank, do not have very huge power/authority.

Each state police force also maintains its own Armed Police force which is responsible for emergencies and crowd control issues.

[edit] Metropolitan Police

In addition to the state police, major cities have their own police forces. The chief of Metropolitan Police is the Police Commissioner. Reporting to the Police Commissioner are the Joint Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner of Police. the metropolitan Police may or may not be subordinate to the state police, varies by state.

[edit] Central Bureau of Investigations

The Central Bureau of Investigation is the prime investigating agency of India. It also is India’s representative for the Interpol. The CBI draws its officers from the best IPS officers around the country. It handles crime related to national security and governmental departments. The agency handles crime in which people from high posts in the government may be involved, either as the victim or offender.

[edit] Criminal Investigations Department

The CID handles mainly crime relating to murders and such heinous acts, which the local police may not have the expertise to handle.

[edit] Home Guards

The Indian Home Guard are an auxiliary police force. They assist the police and the public by maintaining law and order in times of natural and man-made catastrophies.

[edit] Railway Protection Force

The RPF is used to guard the Indian Railways. They maintain discipline on platforms as well as travel inside trains to keep passengers secure. Railway accidents are also handled by them.

[edit] Central Reserve Police Force

The CRPF helps to maintain India’s security. They are used to fight terrorism and also complement the police in times of disasters.

[edit] Central Industrial Security Force

The CISF are used to guard industrial installations around the country owned by the Central government. Sea ports and Air port security is manned by them.

[edit] National Security Guards

The National Security Guards (NSG) is a commando unit originally created for counter-terrorism and hostage rescue missions. Raised in 1986, it is popularly known as the Black Cats for the uniform worn by its operators. Like most military and elite security units in India, it is rather media-shy and the general Indian public is largely unaware of its capabilities and operational details.
The NSG draws its members from the Indian Army and various central police units. It is India's premier counter-terror outfit and is typically deployed in situations that would be beyond the capabilities of regular police units. An NSG team with a dedicated transport aircraft is always stationed at Palam airport in New Delhi, ready to deploy in 30 minutes.
The NSG has also been increasingly tasked with protection of VIP's. This role has expanded in recent years, as several politicians have come to view NSG protection as a status symbol. This has caused some concern among senior NSG officers and Home Ministry officials.
The NSG is reported to have deployed in the insurgency in the state of Jammu & Kashmir and previously in Punjab. The NSG also provides security consulting in India and abroad.

[edit] Narcotics Control Bureau

The NCB is responsible for anti narcotic operations all over the country. It checks the spread of the contraband as well as the cultivation of drugs.

Responsible for security of defence establishments. The Role of Narcotics Control Bureau

BASIC OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU

National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is based on the directive principles contained in Article 47 of the Indian Constitution which directs that the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drugs injurious to health. The government’s policy on the subject which flows from the above said constitutional provision is also guided by the international conventions on the subject. India is a signatory to :

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol.

Conventions on Psychotropic Substances 1971.

United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988.

2. The broad legislative policy in the matter is contained in the three Central Acts, viz. Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and The Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988. The responsibility of drug abuse control, which is a central function, is carried out through a number of Ministries, Departments and Organisations. These include Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue which is having the nodal co-ordination role as administrator of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.

3. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 which came into effect from the 14 November, 1985 made an express provision for constituting a Central Authority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions of the Central Government under the Act.

4. In exercise of the powers, the NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU was constituted with Headquarters at Delhi with effect from the 17 March, 1986. The Bureau, subject to the supervision and control of the Central Government, is to exercise the powers and functions of the Central Government for taking measures with respect to:

a) Co-ordination of actions by various offices, State Governments and other authorities under the N.D.P.S. Act, Customs Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act and any other law for the time being in force in connection with the enforcement provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.

b) Implementation of the obligation in respect of counter measures against illicit traffic under the various international conventions and protocols that are in force at present or which may be ratified or acceded to by India in future.

c) Assistance to concerned authorities in foreign countries and concerned international organisations to facilitate coordination and universal action for prevention and suppression of illicit traffic in these drugs and substances.

d) Coordination of actions taken by the other concerned Ministries, Departments and Organisations in respect of matters relating to drug abuse.

5. The Narcotics control Bureau is the apex coordinating agency. It also functions as an enforcement agency through its field units located at Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Varanasi, Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Jammu, Ahmedabad, Imphal and Tiruvananthapuram. The Zonal Units collect and analyses data related to seizures of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance, study of trends, modus operandi, collection and dissemination of intelligence and work in close cooperation with the Customs, State Police and other law enforcement agencies. The assistance provided by the Bureau has been acknowledged by other Governments and many international bodies.

[edit] Selection and Training

The recruitment process for various levels of the police force differ. The education requirements increase with recruitments for higher posts. The Superintendents of Police (SP) are recruited every year by the UPSC (a wing of the central government) by an extremely competitive exam and are appointed into the Indian Police Service (IPS). The IPS officers are then assigned to a state force. Superintendents of Police undergo a rigorous training for 44 weeks. The training is for brawn and brain, and the training programme also involves external invitees such as eminent lawyers and management consultants. At the end of probation, they undergo an orientation training of few weeks at the assigned state's police academy.

The other levels of police force is selected by state or the central government and are trained ate Police Recruit Schools. The duration for inspectors is roughly a year, and for constables is nearly 9 months. The training staff for these schools is drawn from the police department itself.

[edit] Police transport

Unlike in many other countries, the various state police forces in India extensively use the Jeep as their main mode of transport. Jeeps are known for their capabilities to move around in any sort of terrain. The Jeep is always the primary mode of transport at the police station, although for traffic enforcement and patrolling, motorcycles are also extensively used. The Jeeps are provided with two-way radios, light bars, and sirens. In specific cases, the Jeeps may also be fitted with hard covers, rather than the canvas cover.

The Mumbai police uses Toyota Qualis Jeeps as well.