Manu Aiyappa, TNN Oct 21, 2013,

BANGALORE: If you were cribbing that there is no one to bell the police cat, there is hope finally. Victims of police brutality can now lodge a complaint for any grievances like misconduct, arrest or detention without due process of law, custodial death and abuse of power to the newly formed Karnataka Police Complaints Authority (KPCA).
“We have received 13 complaints from victims of police brutality. We have started verifying the authenticity of such complaints before proceeding,” said Justice MP Chinnappa, former judge of the high court, who is chairperson of KPCA.

The other members are IGP (grievances and human rights) Alok Kumar, retired IAS officerAbhay Prakash and IPS officer Malini Krishnamurthy. “We are in the process of identifying a member from the civil society,” Justice Chinappa said.

Any citizen can file a complaint with KPCA by post or at its office (room No 36/37) in Vikasa Soudha. KPCA will come out with its email ID.

The Supreme Court in 2006 had directed all states to establish KPCA in all states. But the Karnataka government acted on it three years later by appointing RJ Babu, retired judge of the high court, as its chairperson on September 7, 2009. But the KPCA did not become functional because of legal and technical reasons.

To remove such hurdles, the government in June 2012 issued an ordinance amending the Karnataka Police Act, thus incorporating the provision for constitution of the KPCA, and in August 2012, the ordinance was replaced with an act, Section 20 (C) of which deals with detailed provision for setting up of PCA and DPCAs.

“Our job is not only to inquire into complaints of serious misconduct against police personnel received from a victim but also those by the state and national human rights commission. If the officers are found to be guilty we will communicate the findings to the police commissioner or the district superintendent of police with a recommendation to register an FIR and initiate departmental action,” Justice Chinnappa said.

No cops here please: I hope the new authority will be result-oriented to gain the confidence of common man. But I don’t understand why two police officers are part of the committee. It should be free of officers in khakhi if it is to provide justice to common man., said Maj-Gen (Retd) K R Prasad, Janagraha.

What to report

Misconduct by police.

Death in police custody.

Grievous hurt sustained while in custody.

Rape in police custody.

Extortion by police officer.

Land/ house grabbing by police officer.

An incident involving serious abuse of authority by a police officer.

Read more here-  http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-21/chennai/43249366_1_police-brutality-police-custody-police-officer

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