Mumbai Police shall ensure the Rule of Law, enforce the law of the land impartially and firmly without fear or favour (courtesy mumbaipolice.org) is the mission statement of the force. But in reality, the force, considered as next to Scotland Yard for it’s rate of detection, is yet to overcome the fear of politicos in their day-to-day routine. Command of this uniformed disciplined force is under tremendous stress as political parties interfere directly in their recruitment, posting, transfer and promotions.

To oblige their political masters, the police officers take less interest in the difficult task of enforcing the rule of law and spend more time in serving the common man. Forget the common man, in the pile of pending cases, even their own men have been denied justice. Last year a constable dared to go against his own force and offered a rose to MNS chief Raj Thackerey in a public gathering at Azad Maidan, for taking up the cause of policemen. Recently, another constable sought help of MNS, for taking a Sena leader to task.