Steps taken to stop corruption in FIR registration

Islamabad:Inspector General of the Federal Capital Police said that basic rationale of corruption in police stations is registration of first information report (FIR) and generally people complain at the time of registration of FIR and during investigation.

IGP Islamabad, Qazi Jamil-ur-Rehman, responding to questions, averred that concrete steps have been taken to prevent corruption in police station as basic cause of bribery.

For the registration of FIRs, a policy of free registration of cases has been adopted and as a result more than 370 cases pending in different police station of Islamabad have been converted into FIRs and optimistically corruption for registering FIRs will be reduced with the passage of time, Qazi maintained.

Secondly, in order to prevent corruption during investigation stage, an entire innovative investigation wing has been established under an SSP, followed by SPs and Officers in charge investigation have been posted in all police stations, the IGP added.

SSP and SP investigation personally monitors all cases of heinous nature. At random both IGP and DIG (Operations) also calls different complainants to get their feedback, he averred.

“In order to prevent corruption in civil matters and petty disputes which come to police, ‘Musalihati’ Committees (reconciliation committee) are being activated. SPs have been tasked to remove members who are not interested in this responsibility and include dedicated and honourable people so that these committees can resolve local disputes quickly,” Qazi Jamil-ur-Rehman maintained.

Talking about the automation of public complaints, the IGP said, “Redressal of Public complaints with stipulated time. Complaints received at Police Stations level are also watched by senior officers and are minutely scrutinised by senior officers and accordingly action is taken.”

The IGP said, Khulli Kutcheri/public outreach campaign by senior officers to listen their problems. Senior officers are keeping liaison with the aggrieved people in commercial and residential areas to resolve their issues.

A high level team of police officers were conducting surprise visits of police stations to check illegal detentions, he said and added, posting of well reputed officers as SHOs and appointment of posting of ‘Moharrars’ after competitive examination.

Jamil-ur-Rehman Qazi said, “Strict monitoring of ongoing investigations of individual case is being carried out by the team of police officers,” adding that checking the progress of ongoing investigations by calling case files and contacting complainants by senior officers.

Telling the diagram to prevent corruption in police stations, the IGP said, “Zero tolerance policy/ strict accountability, complaint management of complaints personally, via mail and social media.”

“As a prime priority, I focus on rotation of officers posted in one police station for a specified time period, monitoring of Rescue-15 calls and case registration thereof, formal/ Informal inspections of police stations by senior officers, dedicated helpline for complaints of corruption in police stations,” Qazi said.

“Strengthening the office of sub divisional police officers (SDPO) for better supervision, regular crime meetings to review progress of the cases and automation of police station record and processes,” the IGP averred.