Treat journalists with respect: Rakesh Maria

Akela

RAKESH Maria, the Mumbai Police Commissioner called upon Mumbai police officials and instructed them to not to behave rudely with Journalists but respond properly to their grievances. Maria instructed to all senior police inspectors to treat journalists with respect.

Last week a few journalists shared their anger on social networking site WhatsApp against Mumbai police officials especially senior police inspectors. The common complaint of journalists against police personnel was that police does not behave properly/does not provide information if they call in the police stations or in other circumstances.

Actually lots of senior inspectors are being posted in police stations through their political influences or other ways. They remain busy in extorting money from beer bars, matka, and gambling den and protecting anti-social elements. ABI (abinet.org) claims that several senior police inspectors cannot write a FIR properly. They are expert in registering bogus FIRs only. So how can they manage a police station? How can they behave with journalists or public properly?

The journalist’s anger reached Rakesh Maria. One of the intelligent, IPS officers of Maharashtra state, Maria immediate called journalists – both print and electronic media – for meeting.

On August 27, 2014 the journalists met Maria in guidance of Aslam Shaikh, the president of Mumbai Crime Reporters Association. Maria listened to the journalist’s grievance and instructed all police stations to how behave with journalists.

“Police personnel should behave properly with journalists and cultivate good manners,” Maria said.

Maria told journalists that he is available at every second and fourth Wednesday in his cabin. By chance if he is busy on Wednesday he will meet on next day,  that is a Thursday. Maria also ordered deputy commissioner of police (DCP) who is also the spokesperson of Mumbai police, Dhananjay Kulkarni to be present in police press room between 4 to 4.30pm everyday. Journalists can share their problems and can collect information.

Not enough, Joint Commissioner of police (crime) S V Date (who normally avoids meeting journalists) will meet journalists at 4 pm everyday in his cabin.

This is first time in Mumbai Police history when commissioner of police has passed instructions through police notice (copy available with ABI) on journalist’s grievances.

Well known as much disciplined officer Maria passed below instructions-

1- Officials and workers of all police stations should behave journalists with respect.

2- If any journalist showing his identity card and picturising public place do not interrupt/disturb him.

3- The deputy commissioner of police (DCP), assistant commissioner of police (ACP) and senior inspector of police can provide the information of incident/crime to journalists.

4- But cannot share any information related to gangsters or terrorists.

5- If any officer has done a good job or important detection matter share on police press room fax no. 22620332 or email: [email protected].

6- Maria has warned that if any officials/workers found disobeying these instructions, will be punished.

Congratulations to Maria

Mumbai Crime Reporters Association (MCRA) also extends heartiest congratulations to Maria for neutralising a gangster’s module recently that planned to eliminate a city-based journalist.

About Rakesh Maria

Rakesh Maria alias RM, is a 1981 batch high-profile IPS officer. He is known for having cracked the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, the 2003 Gateway and Zaveri Bazar blasts case.

Maria was given the responsibility of investigating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He interrogated Ajmal Amir Kasab the only terrorist captured alive, and successfully investigated the case. Kasab was executed by hanging in 2012.

As the Deputy Commissioner Police (DCP) in 1993, he cracked the Bombay serial blasts case. He was Additional Commissioner and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime). He was also ATS chief before acquiring the post of the commissioner of police, Mumbai.

Maria is also considered one of the officers who helped crack down on the Mumbai underworld.