GUWAHATI, March 17 � The State Police Accountability Commission (SPAC) held an awareness programme on accountability of the State Police at Morigaon on March 14.
According to a press release of the Commission, the programme was presided over by the Commission�s chairman Justice (retired) PK Musahary and attended by about 300 participants from Morigaon district, who included police officials, leading citizens, presidents of Zila Parishads, Anchalik Panchayat and Gaon Panchayat presidents, NGOs, thana committees and mahila samiti office-bearers, besides women activists.
SPAC member S Kakati spoke on the role of the Commission as the distinguished speaker.
He said that the police are accountable to the society while performing their duties.
He made it clear that the SPAC responds to the complaints it received from the victims and even from the members of the Police Department against incidents and instances of misconduct, like death in police custody; grievous injury, molestation, rape or attempt to do so while in custody; arrest or detention without following the due process of law; deprivation of a person of his rightful ownership or possession of property, blackmail or extortion and non-registration of the First Information Report (FIR).
The SPAC passes appropriate orders after examining the matters. The SPAC is to ensure proper implementation of the Assam Police Act, 2007, by the Police Department in the greater interest of the society, he said.
The major issues raised by the participants at the programme were related to non-registration of FIRs, due respect to women, participation and cooperation of the women cell with police and the Deputy Commissioner. The meeting was organised by the DEF, Morigaon.
A total number of 476 cases were registered with the SPAC since its inception and it has disposed off 423 cases out of the registered cases. Of these disposed cases, 271 were settled between 2008 and May 2014 and between June, 2014 and February this year, it disposed off 152 cases, said the press release.