pRince Garg, a head of the Madhya Pradesh police station, on Friday nearly two weeks after a man shot and killed a police station in Satna. Garg is the second police officer in the state to have been murdered in the past two months. In March, Assistant Deputy Inspector Ramcharan Gautam was allegedly lynched when a police officer who was rescued by members of the tribal community was attacked. The hostages were also killed.
In addition to Garg and Gautam, nearly 10 attacks on police personnel or teams have been reported in the state in recent months, including Indore and Bhopal. In February, in Indore, a group of people attacked and tried to kidnap a uniformly dressed deputy inspector during night patrols. Similarly, last month, Nazar Daulat Khan, a police officer from the government railway police station, was beaten by a drunk man at night at Rani Kamlapati train station in Bhopal when he asked them about drinking in the parking lot. The defendant also allegedly commented on his religious identity. The incident happened a few days after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Two days later, only the alleged public defamation allegations were added to the FIR.
Videos of both events spread on social media. Netizens raised concerns about the vulnerability of police officers, while opposition criticized the BJP’s “enhanced Morales” against criminals. Mohan Yadav, the chief minister who owns a household portfolio, has been under fire from Congress, which only strengthens his demand for him to abandon his portfolio.
Although junior or field officials have been targeted by angry mobs, several senior officials, including the Chief of Police (SP), faced a sudden transfer shortly after community violence erupted in their respective jurisdictions. Recently, Guna SP Sanjeev Sinha was transferred to the police headquarters less than a week after two groups clashed in the city during a Hanuman Jayanti process on April 13. While the police arrested several Muslims over the next 24 hours, two FIRs were filed in the following days against members of local right-wing outfits, including BJP councillor Omprakash Kushwah, who was one of the After the conflict, Mr Sinha recorded that the march had been carried out “forcibly without permission” and “slogans were carried out in front of religious places in another community.
Ratlam SP Rahul Lodha was completely eliminated overnight in September after members of the BJP and some members of the right-wing costume accused him of allegedly suspected of stone plugs in the Ganesh Chaturthi parade. Mr. Lodda refutes the claim that idols were damaged in the incident. Police also charged some right-wing activists and booked about 200 people to carry out the destruction during the protests at the police station.
Hindus have at least three senior police officers uncovered multiple fault lines in the state’s overall policing. A senior Ujain subdivision official said both the police and the government were responsible for public anger over the past few months. The officer believes: “The police are involved in a crowd until they suffer violence. You have to deal with the crowd.
A retired IPS official said there was “increased political pressure” in handling the case and claimed it had “double pressure” for officials. “It’s hard to act in sensitive incidents without offending someone, whether it’s a local politician or a religious figure in the region,” he said, also blasting his area’s “politician-recommended posts.”
Although political interventions have long covered the image of police in the state, attacks from public opinion can cause humiliation and lead to lower morale among police, making them look vulnerable in front of the crowd.
Retired officers also called for a focus on core policing and training rather than being “busy with VIP arrangements.” “The police are not trained to deal with large mobs and even a group of rechargeable men,” he added.
He said the police image has never been great, but has only deteriorated in the past year. “People in rural areas avoid visiting police stations because of their treatment,” he said.
publishing – May 12, 2025 01:41 AM IST
