Here’s how every citizen can be a police officer

Hyderabad: You see a crime right in front of you, and even before the cops arrive, the criminals are fleeing. Is there anything you can do? You can, because every citizen has been given the power of a police officer to ensure peace and order in society. Section 43 of the Criminal Procedure Code of […]

Hyderabad: You see a crime right in front of you, and even before the cops arrive, the criminals are fleeing. Is there anything you can do?

You can, because every citizen has been given the power of a police officer to ensure peace and order in society. Section 43 of the Criminal Procedure Code of India bestows the power of arrest to the common citizen if a cognizable and non-bailable offence is committed in his or her presence.

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Retired ASP P Tirupathi Reddy shares a incident where his trainee, Rakesh Kumar, acted as a police officer when he was a teenager.

“Rakesh was at his uncle’s shoe shop in Delhi when he heard gunshots from a nearby gold shop. He rushed to the scene to find two criminals escaping after shooting the owner, his son, and one other person. He followed them into a bus and jumped out a little ahead on seeing a police station. Along with a Head Constable and jeep driver, he went to nab the assailants. As soon as the jeep stopped near them, he jumped out and pounced upon one of the culprits and by giving a knee jerk, caught him from behind. Though one of suspects shot at him, he missed. The suspects were soon overpowered. Rakesh was awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000. His request to join the police force after graduation was also fulfilled by the police.”

What Section 43 says:

“(1) Any private person may arrest or cause to be arrested any person who in his presence commits a non-bailable and cognizable offence, or any proclaimed offender, and, without unnecessary delay, shall make over or cause to be made over any person so arrested to a police officer, or, in the absence of a police officer, take such person or cause him to be taken in custody to the nearest police station.

(2) If there is reason to believe that such person comes under the provisions of section 41, a police officer shall re-arrest him.

(3) If there is reason to believe that he has committed a non-cognizable offence, and he refuses on the demand of a police officer to give his name and residence, or gives a name or residence which such officer has reason to believe to be false, he shall be dealt with under the provisions of section 42; but if there is no sufficient reason to believe that he has committed any offence, he shall be at once released.”

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