No wonder why Police is unpopular ………
Posted on January 10th, 2017

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

We see every day people getting beaten up or showered by Police. I am not surprised .I wrote an opinion about Police Inaction at Zebra Crossings leading to possible accidents. Corrupt policemen are all over the town ,who are friendly with Three Wheeler drivers and Private Bus drivers who keep violating every rule and no action taken by the Police .

Today I was being driven to a doctor around 7.15 am along Deans Road towards Maradana . Next to health department, along the side of the roadside  of the Hayleys, at the Yellow Zebra Crossing ,two impeccably uniformed with sunglasses traffic cops standing by the side of the road who  were watching motor vehicles ,three wheelers and buses passing by .Three wheeler chaps were passing the crossing without stopping ,despite the fact that pedestrians were waiting to cross ,grossly violating the traffic rules..My driver  stopped for a woman   and child to cross , and before proceeding looked at another pedestrian to enter the  crossing . Driver waited ,but the man waiting to cross waived to the driver indicating that we can go and he will not cross .

Within 30 meters a young policeman sopped the car and claimed that we did not wait for the man to cross .Drive explained that he wanted us to move ahead which the policeman saw. Policeman was insisting that we should not have moved until the man crosses ,Driver explained that we waited but the man wanted us to move as he seems like not crossing !

So I interfered and explained that policeman was wrong but he became agitated,I told him that he can charge us in courts and I will personally come to courts and explain .Then the Traffic Sargent who looks like more matured came and asked us to go .Then this policeman no 78786 was telling me that You are too loud   Oyage kata wadei”  ! with an obnoxious look .

On the way to office I called IGP’s number 0112444480  and explained how rude and how wrong the policeman  was and the policeman at the other end said the cop may be an idiotic Buffalo and promised to call the traffic OIC of Maradana and inquire .

This is just one incident to elaborate how  rude and unfriendly the police is and IGP may have to do something in addition to telling sir” to a big shot over the mobile and promised not to arrest a Nilame”

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

6 Responses to “No wonder why Police is unpopular ………”

  1. Nimal Says:

    Our cops reflect the corrupt culture of our country and our leaders are responsible for it and we are well on the way to be a failed state, if not for the hard working private sector. I have written enough about our police force in the past and I am not surprised by this article.
    As far as the authorities are concerned the humble people are second class while the politicans,the main religion being used to exploit will bring the eventual downfall of the country.
    It seems all the politicians are doing is to make money and putting the country into debt and once the country has lost it’s working capital,not enough to borrow the minorities who run most of the wealth creating businesses will demand justice and even their own independence and India will oblige just to please the voters of the Davidian states. When India did the Parippu drop no country ever came to our rescue. I remember the US under sec of state saying that India being a regional power ids the elephant in the room, means we are nobody. I remember the Lon HC General Artygala expressing in private his concern.
    There’s so much injustice in our daily lives in the island the minorities take as it being targeted against them.I keep telling them that we all get the same treatment without an exception.
    Last Spt or Oct when a very sick Muslim man was taken out of a private vehicle in front of the medical clinic a cop on a motor bike came in and gave a warrant to appear in courts and he was abusive to the driver as well. This kind of behaviour is very divisive and not in the interest of social harmony.

  2. aloy Says:

    Dr. Sarath,
    You did understand what the policeman was trying to do; he wanted few bucks from your driver and this is the usual thing they do. Probably his bosses understood it too. And there is nothing he also can do. Let me explain another incident.
    My daughters with their husbands and children including me and my wife were traveling in two vehicles two days before new year. On our way from Trinco to Passikuda when we were just passing Trinco limits a cop who was standing about 20 meters on the right hand side of road edge suddenly came forward signalling our car to stop. The other vehicle which was a tourist van already passed the point uninterrupted as there were hardly any other vehicle on the road. I was on the front seat and saw that my son in law who was driving did not make any traffic violations like white line crossing or anything of that sort. Since the vehicle was almost new and there were no worn out tires etc. I thought there was no reason for him to stop our vehicle. My wife screamed stop, stop, otherwise the policemen will chase and shoot. But my son in law drove on disregarding the order. Later he explained that this is a trick they usually play to force out some money from people whom they see as tourists. It seems the first thing they do is take the drivers license to their hand and then start saying various things and then it becomes their word against the driver’s. At the end the driver will part with few hundred dollars just to avoid coming back to the police station to get the license back. According to tourist drivers it is the usual practice for them to keep about two envelopes one containing a 1000 and another with 500. In case the fiver is not enough they hand over the other also.
    Few days later I read in the news paper that they shot and killed a driver whom they chased when he refused to stop.

  3. aloy Says:

    Sorry , ‘… you did not understand..’

  4. Christie Says:

    The country was under British-Indian Empire and Indians were the high ranking public servants including Police. The culture of corruption and bribery was a part of the duties.

    Once an Indian colonial parasite merchant short changed me in a transaction. I told him look if I had a gun I would have shot you. You would never guess what he said. He said DIG lives in one of my houses.

    The bribery and corruption is from top to bottom. Like the politicians most of the high ranking administrators are on the payroll of the Indian colonial parasites.

    PS: The cop who takes the bribe shares it with other officers. If he takes 500 his share will be about 30 depending the number of officers.

    In the Sarath’s experience the Sergeant will get more than the Cop if the Cop collected a bribe.

  5. Vijendra Says:

    Lack of discipline in the police and other government services comes from the idiotic politicians who rule the country misusing their power and abusing the system. When idiots get power, what can you expect. All the crooks have now got together to form a “national” government. When Ministers accept bribes and minister positions just to remain in power, what can the people expect. We need honest and educated people to take power and rule the country with proper and exemplary discipline and open policies. Voters have to be educated that politicians are there because of them and that they should hold them accountable. If the Leadership is honest and accountable to the people of the country, all the officials will gradually fall in line. Politicians who flout the law and order or help others to flout the law and order must be severely dealt with in public as an example to the others as well. 13A was the turning point at which the rule of law went to the dogs!

  6. Christie Says:

    Remember the Peoples Committees “Janatha Kamitu after 1956. Evry Political, Administratve and policing and almost everything affecting the life of people had to be approved by them.

    1956 බන්ඩ තයි පටන්ගත්තෙ ජනතා කමිටු කියල එකක්. ඔන්න ජඩපාලනයේ පටන් ගැම්ම.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 

 


Copyright © 2024 LankaWeb.com. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Wordpress