Realising folly, a chastened IGP Jadhav takes a U-turn on suicide threat

By Dheeraj Fartode 

Special Inspector General of Police (SPL IGP) Amravati Range Vitthal Jadhav who sent shock waves across the Maharashtra on Monday and became incommunicado last night, finally got in touch with higher-ups on Monday and interacted with Director General of Police (DGP) Satish Mathur on telephone. However, he did not “acknowledged” the suicide threat which he sent on Sunday night to an Additional Director General of Police (ADG) and many politicians and a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 

A senior police officer informed The Hitavada that IGP Jadhav realised the serious implications of the message after he came out from a “condition” on Monday morning. He attended office on Monday but did not meet any visitors. This suicide note episode and the manner in which officer later refused to acknowledge the threat has also raised a big questionmark over leadership qualities and behavioural pattern of senior police officers assigned with sensitive tasks and supervisory duties.

Exact reason behind the IGP Jadhav’s behaviour was “displeasure” letter which was issued by the DGP Satish Mathur after violent riot took place in Umarkhed town during Ganesh idol immersion. Total eight policemen were injured during the attack and 10 rounds were fired in the air by the police to control the situation when two groups clashed. Three companies of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) were deployed at Umarkhed for a fortnight after the riot.

DGP Mathur and ADG Law and Order (L&O) S P Yadav held IGP Jadhav and Superintendent of Police (SP) Yavatmal Akhilesh Singh responsible for inept handling of the situation and allowing communal passions to flare up and “pulled up’ both the officers for the riot. The “displeasure” letter was issued to both officers for “utter failure” of planning for maintaining Law and Order in the communally sensitive town. Sources informed that the “displeasure” letter issued to SP Akhilesh Singh was more “harsh” than one issued to IGP Jadhav. Akhilesh Singh had appointed new in-charge of Umarkhed Police Station barely two months before the riot. And, IGP Jadhav did not discuss the appointment with Singh. The Inspector was inexperienced to handle the riot situation. Hence, a Ganesh Mandal had suddenly changed the route of the procession and took out the procession from “sensitive” area.

However, in this particular case, many senior officers strongly disapproved the manner in which suicide note has been posted on social media by a senior officer of the Special IGP rank. Such careless action often brings ignominy to entire police force and officers become a subject of ridicule and joke on social media, rued a senior police officer. Instead of going public in such a fashion, the officer could have taken departmental mode or quasi-judicial fora for redressal of grievances. But such an unwise move has damaged the image of men in Khaki, lamented a senior officer who strongly deplored the IGP for threatening to end his life and thereby pressurise the top brass to go soft against him. 

There are serious difference of opinion between State Police Service (SPS) officers and Indian Police Officers (IPS) officers over the IGP Jadhav’s Sunday move. Some SPS officers are claiming IPS are “deliberately targeting” promotee IPS and SPS officers however some officers do not agree with the “claim”. “Many a times promotee IPS (SPS to IPS) are not given “good” posting or there promotion is “blocked”, rued a senior promotee IPS officer. Another promotee IPS officer said that this is not a case with every police officer. “Some officers underperforms hence they are sidelined,” the officer said on condition of anonymity. 

How junior officers perceive IGP

IGP Jadhav is a typical officer like any other state police officer. IGP was indicted for inept handling of Umarkhed riot. But officer stated that not everybody in police force is born with capabilities to deal with tricky communal tension which can snowball into a major clash leading to serious law and order problem. Overall he is gentleman, a soft spoken officer having “some” weakness. 

Attempts of “shocks” in state police

Two months before a Woman Police Inspector of Mumbai Police also threatened to commit suicide when she was transferred to Hingoli. As she was not keen to join Hingoli District Police, she posted a message on her Facebook wall claiming she would commit suicide. The suicide threat of Woman Police Inspector put top brass of state police on toes. 

In year 2014, Earlier, IG (Prison), Nagpur, Shashikant Shinde had lodged a complaint under Atrocities Act against then Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal and following an order by JMFC Court the case was registered against Dayal. However, later High Court pulled up the lower court for mechanically passing the order and slammed Shinde for using Atrocity Act to settle his personal score and service dispute.

What CID’s statistic says? 

As per the statistics of State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), total 129 policemen have committed suicide from year 2010 to 2013. Out of total number of suicides, 104 are policemen and 25 are police officers. Highest number of suicides are those of police constables-53. Police officers include one Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), seven Police Inspectors, two APIs, seven PSIs, eight ASIs and 23 Head Constables.

The CID came to a conclusion that 28 policemen (21.70%) (including police officers) committed suicide due to domestic problems, 21 (16.27%) due to illness, 12 (9.30%) due to depression, 10 (7.75%) due to addiction, and only one (0.77%) due to harassment by seniors. However, the CID do not know reason for suicides of 55 policemen (42.63%) including 16 police officers. Among the case registered under Section 306 of Indian Penal Code, police persons are accused in four cases. 

------------------------