The IPF Foundation Day Lecture 2020

Justice (Retd) Madan Bhimarao Lokur delivered the Indian Police Foundation's annual day lecture, organised in partnership with Common Cause, on September 22, 2020. Titled "Reforms in Police and Criminal Justice are crucial to safeguard the democratic rights of citizens," the lecture was followed by a spirited discussion.

Here are a few quotable quotes by Justice Lokur:

"Everybody, including state governments, Union Territories and the Government of India, agreed that the recommendations of the National Police Commission should be implemented. Yet 14 years down the line, no progress has been made. The compliance of the directions of the Supreme Court are wanting even after a gap of 14 years. One of the questions that may need to be answered at some point of time is: 'Is this Contempt of the Supreme Court?'"

"It is a democratic right of every citizen to report and register a crime, particularly when they are a victim. It is the obligation of the police to follow the law laid down by the Supreme Court but we see that even after the Constitution Bench decision, the law is not necessarily being followed."

"The police and their associated agencies are under huge work pressure. The United Nations has suggested there should be 222 police officers per 100,000 citizens. In India the sanctioned strength is 185 per 100,000 citizens. But the actual strength is 144. (Therefore) they are bound to make mistakes. But at the same time something has to be done. The answer has to be police reforms. Otherwise you will end up with hundreds of cases where the courts will be saying that the investigation is shoddy, you have got the wrong person and you will start all over again or acquit the person."

"What I find disturbing is that now there is a trust deficit in police investigations."