Police misconduct cases raise concern in Hyderabad

Several recent cases of alleged police misconduct—ranging from theft and bribery to mishandling custody—have raised concerns about the credibility of Hyderabad Police. While Commissioner VC Sajjanar has initiated strict action and reforms, analysts warn of deeper systemic issues affecting public trust

Hyderabad: Over the past few weeks, various incidents involving alleged misconduct by police officials, from constables to sub-inspectors, have shaken confidence in parts of the city’s police force. Some of these incidents involve alleged theft, bribery, dereliction of duty and even mishandling of custodial duties.

Recently, a constable of the city police was arrested after footage recorded during a raid showed him flicking an imitation Rolex watch from the house of a suspect in a forgery and impersonation case, without recording it in the seizure memo.

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In another incident, a more serious breach, a sub-inspector from the Amberpet Police Station was booked for allegedly stealing about 40 grams of gold ornaments recovered in a theft case and mortgaging them. The same officer reportedly also misplaced his service revolver.

Another case involved a senior officer, a Task Force Sub-Inspector, who was suspended after a high-value fraud case accused had escaped custody under his watch.

There was also an instance where a sub-inspector was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a complainant, in exchange for help, related to property eviction and an earlier criminal complaint. Apart from this, an Armed Reserve constable was arrested for molesting a woman in Madhura Nagar.

City Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar, reacting swiftly, has been ordering suspension of erring personnel and has reiterated a zero-tolerance stand against corruption.

At the same time, efforts have been made to improve transparency and accountability. For instance, the police recently formed a new Central Investigation Team (CIT) to fast-track key cases and reduce delays or negligence in case registrations and follow-ups.

However, these episodes are significant not only because they involve individual lapses, but because they strike at the credibility of Hyderabad Police.

Analysts and citizens say misconduct such as pilfering seized evidence, misplacing weapons, accepting bribes or facilitating the escape of suspects affects the public trust in the justice system and raises serious concerns about systemic vulnerabilities.

“Moreover, such incidents can have side effects on wider civic confidence, like victims may hesitate to approach police, crimes may go unreported and ordinary citizens may grow wary of relying on law enforcement for protection,” said a female private employee from Kukatpally.

Meanwhile, those in knowledge with policing say restoring people’s trust will require not only strict action against individuals but also structural reforms.

“Strengthening internal oversight mechanisms such as routine audits of evidence, property seized and inventory apart from regular rotation of personnel to prevent collusion and complacency should be done,” said a retired SP rank official.

Apart from this, use of body cams or video-recording by police during searches and arrests to ensure transparency and encouraging citizen feedback and anonymous reporting channels for reporting police misconduct were also suggested.