Expressing displeasure at the State’s inaction on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition relating to the physical fitness of policemen, the Calcutta High Court on Friday drew attention to the paunchy policemen on duty on the High Court premises.
“Can’t you see the big tummies on the policemen in the High Court?” acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre asked. The Division Bench of Justice Nishita Mathre and Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty is hearing a PIL petition filed by former Border Security Force (BSF) personnel Kamal Dey on mandatory physical fitness for all police personnel.
The petition was filed in December 2016 and the matter was taken up for hearing in the High Court in January 2017.
The Division Bench asked the State counsel if the department had a procedure to check the Body Mass Index (BMI) of policemen. The Court pointed out that a few days of training will not help in improving the situation. It directed the State government to file an affidavit in two weeks. The hearing will be held again on April 7. The Court asked the State government to take the matter seriously.
Counsel representing the State, Tapan Mukherjee, in a lighter vein, pointed out that the petitioner himself had a paunch. The Division Bench retorted that Mr. Dey is not going to look after the law and order in the State.
The Bench then asked both the Kolkata Commissioner of Police and West Bengal Director General of Police to submit separate reports about the physical and mental fitness of the police force in West Bengal.
“Due to such heavy bulges, policemen often fail to maintain law and order, and the security and safety of people is in jeopardy,” Mr. Dey told The Hindu .
