Mumbai Mirror

• Jt Commissioner K L Prasad sends a circular to police stations after seeing pictures of constables clicking photographs of cricketers at Wankhede stadium last month 

Mumbai, Nov 13: The Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) is not happy with the constables posted at the Wankhede stadium during the India-Australia tie last month. He has not taken kindly to the pictures published in newspapers on October 18 of on-duty constables clicking photographs of cricketers at the stadium.

In a circular issued to all the 86 police stations and the local arms division of the Mumbai police, Joint Commissioner, K L Prasad said “if journalists call you ‘aaramkhor’ it won’t be wrong”.

“Pictures published in newspapers show that constables posted on duty at the stadium were more eager to see the cricketers rather than do their duty,” says Prasad in the circular.

(Left): Constables were busy clicking pictures of cricketers with their mobile phones (Right): A constable stops to catch a glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar a day before the India-Australia one-dayer at Wankhede on Oct 17

“In one photograph, a constable is shown staring at Sachin Tendulkar very closely, which shows that he forgot his duty and acted like a commoner. This is very unfortunate,” says Prasad in the circular. A copy of the circular is with Mumbai Mirror.

Prasad, who heads all the police stations in the city, said he too was present at the stadium and saw that constables were more interested in watching the match.

He also held the sub-inspectors, heading the on-duty constables, for being equally responsible for their conduct. “The sub-inspectors, too, seemed immersed in the game and did not lead their men (constables) properly,” lashed out Prasad.

Continuing his hard-hitting comments, Prasad said the policemen were least interested in fulfilling their duties at the stadium.

“Instead of maintaining law and order and ensuring security to the cricketers the constables immersed themselves in the match. They seem to have left their duties to be fulfilled by God.” Prasad ended the circular by saying that the pictures in newspapers and his observations show that police officers and constables need to introspect and be more vigilant.