Policing Trends and Concerns in Maharashtra
A troubling trend originating in Nashik, Maharashtra, highlights police actions prioritizing virality over due process. This trend involves the public shaming of accused individuals in videos shared on official digital platforms and social media.
Actions Taken by Nashik Police
- Over the past six months, videos have been released showcasing accused individuals parading before cameras.
- The videos carry the slogan: "Nashik zilla kaydyacha balekilla (Nashik district, a fortress of law and order)".
- Similar videos have also surfaced in Thane.
Violation of Due Process
- These actions undermine the rule of law, depicting law enforcement more as authoritarian enforcers rather than protectors of justice.
- Maharashtra Inspector General Manoj Kumar Sharma states there are no official directives for creating such videos.
- Nashik Commissioner Sandeep Karnik initiated the trend in response to a viral video labeling Nashik as a "fortress of crime".
Consequences and Criticism
- This practice has raised substantial concerns regarding the erosion of due process in policing.
- Policing should not become a popularity contest reliant on public shaming.
- The actions are reminiscent of regressive practices, not fitting for a modern constitutional democracy.
Call for Accountability
- The judiciary should be the sole authority in determining guilt or punishment, not the police through public shame.
- Officers responsible for these practices in Nashik and other areas must be held accountable.
- There is a need for a clear message from higher authorities that fictional portrayals of policing are not models for real-life law enforcement.
