Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Supreme Court's deadline to states on bringing about police reforms ends on Wednesday.
The Apex court had given a directive to the effect on September 22, 2006, saying that it was time states let go of their grip over the police force operating within their boundaries.
And though most states are crying foul, saying this infringes on their federal structure, many feel that states are upset because the SC directive essentially means that politicians will no longer be able to control their policemen.
The order to make the police force independent of the state may be an indication of another state-judiciary showdown.
Says Union Home Secretary, V K Duggal, "States are complying where they can and will give an affidavit where they cannot."
Except for Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, other states are seeing red. The states are objecting to fixed tenures for officers right from the level of DGP to SHOs.
They are also upset that the policemen themselves will be allowed to take a decision on things like transfers and postings of officers up to the rank of the DSP.
Also mandatory powers will be given to a state security commission to oversee that policemen function as per the law rather then their political masters.
Most states say this will infringe on their federal structure, but the man who filed the petition, former DGP, UP Police, Prakash Singh, says he is only echoing the Government's views.
"The Malimath Committee and other reports submitted on the subject all say the same thing," says he.
And whether the Centre likes it or not, comply it must. The Home Ministry is now working overtime on the Soli Sorabjee Report on police reforms so a legislation can be tabled finally in the Budget Session of Parliament.
Politicians might be reluctant to let go their grip on the police force, but a more disciplined force has its plus points.
Incidents like the serial killings in Nithari village can be avoided and along side it, the embarrassment that politicians have to face with a better organised force.
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