How to deal with the Indian Police (an article)

Here's an article from the UK telegraph paper about how to deal with Indian police:

Guide launched 'to help overcome fear of India's corrupt police'

A human rights group has launched a campaign to help the public overcome its fear of India's police which has been tainted by allegations of extra-judicial killings, corruption, extortion, rape and sexual assault.

By Dean Nelson, New Delhi
4:51PM BST 30 Aug 2011

Ordinary members of the public are so afraid of entering police stations or allowing officers into their homes that the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has published a pamphlet to spell out their rights and explain how to hold the force to account.

Its publication follows a recent spate of suspicious deaths in custody, including that of a 14 year old girl who was allegedly dragged at gunpoint into a police station in Uttar Pradesh last June and raped and murdered.

Two terror suspects died in custody in July after they were allegedly tortured. One suffered a cerebral haemorrhage.

In 2009, 59 people died in police custody in India, while a large number of suspects have been killed in 'fake encounters' – where police are alleged to have staged shoot-outs to cover up extrajudicial killings. Several police 'encounter specialist' gunmen have become notorious, especially in Mumbai where seven officers have killed more than 500 'suspects.'

According to human rights campaigners, people are reluctant to report crimes or help road accident victims because they fear being treated as a suspect or coerced into paying bribes.

Meenakshi Ganguly of Human Rights Watch said Indian police often beat suspects as instant punishment to save the trouble of court procedures, and torture them for information. "They kill people when they decide they will never have enough evidence against them, so it's fine to kill them in custody. There's a saying in Hindi which says 'the policeman is never a good friend or good enemy'. It's not a good public-private relationship," she said.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative sets out to publicise people's rights in their dealings with the police to help them overcome their fears.

Officers are not allowed to demand free rides on public transport, take goods without paying, or force someone to go to the police station if they are not under arrest, it warns.

If officers act unlawfully or refuse to protect members of the public, complaints can be made to senior officers or a magistrate. Officers cannot enter people's homes without an invitation or warrant unless there are reasonable grounds to suspect a fugitive or stolen property in being hidden there.

Maja Daruwala, Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, said "people are often exploited and victimised by the police in day to day life" because of widespread ignorance of laws and rules and their rights.

"Criminal laws are often written in statues and very difficult to understand. We have simplified it and included small but important information, like if a police man slaps someone it's an illegal act," she said.

She said criminal laws and citizen's rights should be taught in schools to make sure the next generation does not live in fear of the police.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat, said his force had made the 'rights of citizens' available at all stations.

"It is difficult to say why people fear police. We are doing our best to keep our men friendly and act against erring officials," he said.