Interviews

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh is a simple and genuine officer and he wants that a police officer should always be accessible for the common people, at the same time criminals and anti-social elements should fear the police. He is known for his fearless views and open comments. His interviews have been published in various newspapers and periodicals.  Two such interviews published in the Hindustan Times are given below:

  1. Implementing Rule of Law is my Priority: Published in the Hindustan Times on 1 June 2007 when he was posted as SSP (Police Chief) of Amritsar.
  2. In Service of Common Man: Published in the Hindustan Times on 17 November 2006 when he was posted as DIG of Central Jail Amritsar.

‘Implementing Rule of Law is my priority’

ASEEM BASSI talks to SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who insists on genuine policing and aims at keeping anti-social elements at bay [Friday, 1 June 2007, HT Amritsar Live]

More than taking up a job, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh joined the Indian Police Services with an aim to implement the rule of to law and ensure that even the an ordinary man gets justice.

The 1998-batch IPS officer of Punjab Cadre, Singh has earlier worked as SP in Amritsar and SAS Nagar (Mohali), SSP Ferozepur and Jails. He hogged limelight after he played a pivotal role in busting the kidney scam.

The IPS officer insists that whatever be the position or job profile, his aim has been to eradicate crime, ensure genuine policing and strengthen public-police bonding. And, as Amritsar SSP, his principle is going to be the same. In fact, sources say that Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh is known for his aggressive style of working.

Having been appointed as the Amritsar SSP nearly a month back, Singh is already in action. Now launching a drive against drugs and spearheading efforts to keep the city at peace, the officer insists on making the common man feel comfortable about the police.

How do you assess yourself as a police officer?

SSP:    I am an ordinary police officer. A job of, any police officer is to detect and prevent crime and it is the same for me. Whenever I am working, I make sure that the ‘rule of law’ is implemented and no injustice is done. It has been about 10 years since I started with the job and, I believe, I have done a satisfactory task.

You have been associated with jails too. Any comment?

SSP:    I feel that prisoners must also be treated like any other citizen. Their human needs must be fulfilled when they are put into the jail. Other than this, jails must come up as ‘correctional homes’, where the prisoner learns a lot and transforms into a good citizen.

You always stress on ‘genuine policing’ how do you define that?

SSP:    By genuine policing I mean that a common person need not hesitate to approach the police and must get justice, while the culprits should fear the police. Yes, I do stress a lot on this concept of genuine policing. I feel that only by adopting this can we have a good public-police relationship. Once this procedure is followed, it will be in the benefit of the society.

You have busted high profile cases like kidney scam. Do you see these as your personal achievement?

SSP:    No, every case is important and prestigious for me. Whether it is a high profile case or any other, the focus in all of them is to punish the culprits and implementation of law. I don’t consider them as my achievements, but that of the police department. And, to solve the cases is my duty and my job.

You have not deterred from acting against the bigwigs and high profiles in your career, what sort of pressure you face in such circumstances?

SSP:    When you are doing your duty and doing everything in a good faith only to upkeep the law, there is no pressure. Personally, I feel that no one is above the law and once you think that way there is no pressure. Everything is done to keep the city at peace. There is often this talk about political pressure, but I think politicians help me in a way to do my job well.

You floated the idea of complaint boxes. How successful has it been?

SSP:    Even though this idea of inclining complaint or suggestion boxes is a very old one, but it is bringing results. We are not only getting help in detecting crime through the complaints that are dropped into the boxes but we are also getting valuable advice from the residents. The recent few cases of snatching and robbery that have been busted are the result of these boxes. This idea has brought more information to us and has helped in developing a healthy relation between the police and the public.

How challenging it is to work in Amritsar?

SSP:    It is very challenging task to work in Amritsar. This is a busy city with heavy inflow of tourists and the residents also have high expectations from the law-enforcing agencies. To keep all sections of the society is a challenging  job.

In service of common man

[Friday, 17 November 2006, HT Amritsar Live]

The DYNAMIC IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh might have made a big name for himself in a short period of service, but he is not satisfied with his achievement. He says that he will be satisfied only when prisoners go out in the society and propagate good things, which is his ultimate goal. Singh, who joined the police force with the aim of protecting the rights of the common man and acting against lawbreakers, hogged the limelight by unearthing the infamous kidney scam. He is now on a mission to introduce jail reforms. Currently, posted as SSP Jail in Amritsar, the officer tells Amandeep Kaur about the various aspects of his career and mission.

How do you become an IPS officer and which batch do you belong to?

I belong to the 1998 batch of IPS officers from the Punjab cadre. I believe in hard labour in the right direction, with honesty to self. In the UPSC examinations, I opted for the Indian Police Service as my first choice. I have always believed that this is the only service that can protect the rights of the common man, can provide instant justice to the needy and offers a huge scope for social work.

Are you satisfied with your career as a police officer?

Yes, I am satisfied with my performance so far. One has to give his best whenever he is posted with outthinking about the results.

What motivates you to remain an officer of high integrity during these times of corruption?

It is the individual who has to select the path. If you have selected the right path, you have no option to look back. It is a decision of a moment. Once you have decided to walk on this path, there is no problem for you. In my eight years of short span of service, I have realised that to follow the righteous path may be a difficult task, but not an impossible one. My pledge is to work for the society and protect human rights at large with total commitment in whatever modest way I can.

How do you manage to avoid political pressure while holding such a high position?

There is no such pressure once you have selected the right path. In fact, you are in a position to get help in the process of service to the society, if you are on the right track with firmness.

What have been your achievements as a police officer before taking over as SSP (Jail)?

Before this, I served in Amritsar as SP City, SP Mohali and SSP Ferozepure. The main task of a police officer is to implement the rules of law. My priority was to give due respect to the law-obeying citizens, and to act against the lawbreakers. Accessibility to the common citizen helped me a lot in the prevention and detection of crimes.

What reforms have you brought in Amritsar Central Jail?

We have changed the atmosphere of the prison. In less than a year, we have converted Amritsar prison in a correctional institution, a training and research centre.

Do you think that there is proper recognition of your work?

One should concentrate on one’s duties. Seeing is Learning, a training programme, organised by the BPR&D, for the offices of North India is a recent example of the recognition of our good work.

You have got certain awards in recognition of your work, Do such awards inspire you to do better? (Some of the awards are Baba Farid Award for Honesty and India Vision Foundation Award for Prison Reforms)

Your duty is only to perform, and not to think about awards and rewards. Your satisfaction is more important than awards and rewards.

Do you feel proud working with Mrs Kiran Bedi? If yes, how?

It is always a pleasure to seek help and assistance from a person like Kiran Bedi, who is always ready to help, assist and guide you. Her way of encouraging righteous work cannot be described in words.

What are your hobbies and how much time do you find for them?

I am fond of yoga and folk music, and it has significant role in my career and my life.

About your family? Does you wife fully support you to achieve your goals?

I am leading a happy life with my wife and child, who have always been supportive of my professional work. I have evolved a very good balance between my professional and personal life.

What do you want to do in the future?

To work for the society, with dedication and commitment.

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