Patna: Notices sent to 150 absentee constables

150 police constables, who have been absent from the Patna Police Line without any permission from the department, were sent notices on Thursday.

The police department has no information about their whereabouts. Some of these constables have gone absent without leave (AWOL) for several months and some for nearly a year.

The issue came to light during an internal investigation carried out by Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Inspector General (DIG).

Normally, one gets to hear about criminals absconding or escaping from the police custody or prison, but in this case, 150 police constables have gone missing.

After the investigations, two constables have been suspended with immediate effect.

According to the PRO of Patna, police notices have been sent to these absentee police constables asking for an explanation for their absenteeism.

There are indications of some major action against the violators.

There is a perpetual shortage of staff in the Bihar police. According to a survey carried out by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), there is just one policeman for every 839 citizens in the city.

With such gross inequality in the police civilian ratio, the absence of these 150 police constables AWOL is a case of gross negligence on the part of the department itself.