Chandigarh: Newly appointed Haryana Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur on Wednesday said he will prioritise making the 50,000-strong force more responsive while focussing on effective resolution of public grievances.
"The most important thing is that public grievances, be that of any kind, should be effectively resolved," the new police chief said at a news conference in the evening at the state police headquarters in Panchkula. The Haryana government on Wednesday appointed Kapur, a 1990-batch IPS officer, the new police chief of the state, replacing P K Agrawal, whose tenure ended on August 15.
Kapur, who used to be the director general of Haryana's Anti-Corruption Bureau, told the press conference that improving the conviction rate and investigations will be his priority, besides focussing on the training of police personnel. The new police chief assumes charge at a time when the Vishva Hindu Parishad has said it will resume on August 28 its Braj Mandal Yatra in the Muslim-dominated Nuh district that was earlier disrupted due to communal clashes.
Asked if the yatra will be allowed, the DGP said he assumed the charge only a few hours ago but added that "all these things are in cognisance of the local administration and the government". "As we all know (as far as) the law and order matter (is concerned), the district administration and the police coordinate and we will make it even better. Our support and guidance remain. So keeping all pros and cons," he said.
Asked again if no decision has been taken yet on permitting the yatra, Kapur replied, "At least I don't know since I have come to address the media after assuming charge..." Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that erupted in Nuh after the VHP procession was attacked by mobs on July 31 and spread to adjoining areas, including Gurugram.
On who was the mastermind behind the violence, the DGP said, "All these things are a matter of investigation." Asked about Bittu Bajrangi, a cow vigilante remanded in police custody for a day by a Nuh court in connection with the communal clashes, Kapur said action would be taken based on investigations in the case.
He further said social media has become a potent force but sometimes hate content is circulated. "So it is a big challenge. How we can effectively form a strategy, we will work towards that," Kapur added. Touching upon another issue, he said there are some sections which need more attention and "we can call them vulnerable groups", he said, adding that women, children and the elderly are often at the receiving end of criminal activity.
Besides, the focus will also be on the redressal of any kind of grievance of Scheduled Castes and the minorities, Kapur said. Referring to the police department, he said giving a clean administration will be the endeavour and the efforts of people doing good will be acknowledged. "Improving conviction rate and investigations will be priority. We will also focus on training of police personnel," the new DGP said.
On his immediate priorities, he said, "One has to hit the treadmill running...We will have to work on all things together. Incidents do not wait for any individual officer or any police preparation. So, we have to be prepared all the time." On the biggest challenge facing the Haryana Police, Kapur said there is always a scope to improve the grievance redressal system. "Response time is very good and our endeavour will be to make it even better," he said.
"For law and order, capacity building is one area where we can do better," the DGP said. For criminal elements and gangsters, "our message is clear that we will come down heavily on them," he replied to another query. Asked about complaints against the police department raised during state Home Minister Anil Vij's 'Janta Darbar", the DGP said efforts would be made to minimise that.
Kapur has served in several important positions in the Haryana Police, including a stint in the Mewat region as superintendent of police. He also served with the Central Bureau of Investigation during 2002-2008 on deputation. Kapur has served as the superintendent of police in Hisar, Bhiwani and Gurugram districts. He has also been the principal secretary of transport and the director general of the prisons department. (PTI)
