What happened in UP is shocking and scandalous. There was heavy political pressure on the recruiting officers to select candidates based on an already-drawn up list, prepared, apparently, on caste, political and pecuniary considerations. (Each appointment apparently cost between rupees one and four lakh. Many young recruits took out loans or mortgaged land.) Then, the selection board at different recruitment centres was packed with obliging officers. Third, the list was sent to the officer panels. Finally, the panel then selected the candidates, by lowering interview yardsticks or even allowing outsiders to write answer papers.

In UP, a private firm was hired to check objective-type answer sheets; in several, whitener was used to erase old answers. Officers who didn’t toe the line were humiliated and sidelined. I know of two who were hounded and stripped of authority because they weren’t accommodating. The UP police isn’t alone; similar modus operandi were detected in the selection of CRPF candidates recently, causing a number of officers including an IGP to be indicted. Earlier, in Orissa, the state Vigilance Bureau had launched criminal cases against the then-DG of Police and a number of senior officers for corrupt recruitment.

However, the decision of the Mayawati government to annul the recruitment of all 20,000 constables was hasty, ill-advised and possibly politically motivated. It was also administratively improper to arrest some of the officers allegedly involved before investigation against them is completed. That led to a loss of morale, and cynicism in police ranks. Natural justice demands we distinguish between genuine recruits and those appointed through irregular means so that the former do not suffer for the transgressions of the latter.

... contd.