Unlike most IPS officers, for whom their tenure is the time to make a difference, Prakash Singh just couldn’t wait to shed his uniform to do something worthwhile. After retiring as Director General of BSF in 1994, he petitioned the Supreme Court in an effort to clean up the stink in the country’s police force. Thirty-five years of service had given him enough insight into the politicisation, corruption and criminalisation of the force. The going was tough initially as the case dragged on for a decade, but finally the apex court on Friday gave the go-ahead for ushering in sweeping reforms in the police establishment.

“The judgment is far-reaching and will go a long way in transforming the police into a people-friendly force. In one stroke, the court has demolished the 145-year-old colonial structure of police,” Singh said. He expressed confidence that honest officers will now feel emboldened to stand up and say no to politicians and uphold the rule of law. But he cautioned: “It will not be a push button start but a slow and steady change.”

“Even as a police officer, I used all available forums to push for reforms. But then, I realised that the political executive had a vested interest in maintaining a status quo. I came to the conclusion that the judiciary was the only hope. But the service code of conduct was coming in the way. So I decided to wait till retirement,” says Singh, who was awarded the Padmashree in 1991 for his contribution in combating terrorism in Punjab.

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