Shame on the Police and Babudom of Kolkata

ACTUAL FACTS

In fact, after the babus staked their credibility and escalated the issue to PMO / PM level overnight, the kolkata babus were stunned, even grudgingly respectful of the cogent, articulate and thorough legal arguments presented by the Military authorities punching irrefutable holes in the police version and approach.

Apparently the PMO is very unhappy as well that the IAS / IPS lobby in Kolkata prematurely escalated the incident to the bureaucrats within the PMO and got the PM to react in support of the Kolkata cops even when the cops, as it turns out, were in the wrong.

It was not for nothing that the Chief Secretary (Home Secretary too) of West Bengal appeared so much more conciliatory, even admiring of the Army authorities the very next morning (“I should give the Army credit where it is due. It is best if they investigate. They are already moving much “faster” (the obvious comparison being with the Pandus). We have high regard for the Army”.etc.)

If the pandus were out-pandu’ed by the Army jawans the night before in the ‘laat ghoosa’ department, then the babus were out-babu’ed by Army Officers the morning after in the babu’cracy, intelligence gathering and legal departments. The Army came through the (Kolkata bureaucrats – Army Authorities) meeting as the better prepared, informed and professional party. The Babus immediately agreed that the Army should drive the investigation going forward.

The grandiose statements by the Police chief ( “My men did not confront the Army only to avoid a bloodbath otherwise we are more than capable to handle such people”, “I will move the courts to arrest these officers and put them back in custody and I will see this to its end”, “My officers will not go to the Army to depose we will get the Army Officers to depose for our investigation” ) in between his lobbying efforts to become Chief of CAB (Cricket association of Bengal) when this issue was still hanging fire, did not endear him to the babus who were themselves working overtime to contain the situation. It is rumored within Writer’s Building that as soon as the Babus succeed in sweeping this incident under the carpet, and out of public imagination, the Kolkata Police chief would be eased out of his position – possibly as the CAB chief itself.

That the Army’s court has already begun its work and started witness depositions, while the cops are yet to even send a written report to the Army, tells something about either party’s professionalism and discipline.

The Army authorities, unmindful of the Neta / Babu / Pandu / Patrakar shenanigans, have made it very clear that they are determined to move full speed ahead with their investigation. Notwithstanding the go-slow wont-cooperate mode of the police, the Army approached the judiciary in quick time and the magistrate ordered the cops to depose before the Army court – inside the Army base – instead of the other way around!

From its end the Army has assured timely punitive measures to its offending personnel for alleged offences if proved in court – including eve teasing, vandalism – provided of course witness depositions are made available. With the ‘eve teased’ woman having vanished without a trace, and not a single attendee at the new Years bash at the hotel corroborating the eve teasing story the cops are truly embarrased. Further atleast 3 neutral witnesses have come forward disputing the police version of the vandalism story! The only recourse therefore available to the cops to keep the lid from being blown of their misdeeds and subsequent cover-up was to not depose them in the Army court – thereby keeping the court in perpetual limbo.

Despite allround pressure on the cops to honour the summons from the Army court the constables have been mortified about visiting the Army cantonment / court and had been delaying it under one pretext or the other. Finally, the 2 offending cops – the same very 2 guys that also bore the biggest brunt of the Madras regiment fury – appeared before the Army court a few days ago.

Apparently the babus have engaged in a lot of behind the scenes diplomacy with the Army authorities (the Army is furious at the lies planted in the media, and the inability of the cops to corroborate their stories – eve teasing / drunkenness of Army personnel – with any credible witnesses, FIRs or crime scene reports) to let issue die down.