I am still committed to police, prison reforms, says ex-cop Kiran Bedi

The countrys first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi, who took voluntary retirement two years ahead of her retirement, on Sunday said that she is committed to police and prison reforms and rejected the governments offer to head the National Police Mission.

New Delhi, Dec 23 : The country's first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi, who took voluntary retirement two years ahead of her retirement, on Sunday said that she is committed to police and prison reforms and rejected the government's offer to head the National Police Mission.

On December 20, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta said that the Center has decided to place a bigger responsibility on Bedi's shoulders by convincing her to anchor the National police mission in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).

Bedi, however, was unenthusiastic about the offer owing to the positioning of the National Police Mission in the BPRD.

"If you really feel that police mission needed the best of the attention and the highest attention, then you should have been a part of Sam Pitroda's team, where you could have put some experienced police officials," she said.

While talking about his Knowledge Commission, Pitroda would have also talked "about police reforms directly (to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) and you could have got the results directly, Bedi added.

She went on to say, "But when you have put it under the BPRD, its report will go to a desk officer who already has layers and layers of files; hence, you may never get to see the report ever."

The country is witnessing a policing divide along with digital divide, police is only for the poor, and the rich can buy their security, Bedi said.

Bedi has donned several hats including DIG Mizoram, IG Chandigarh, DG Narcotics Control Bureau, IG Tihar Jail, Joint Police Commissioner Police Training and Special Commissioner in charge of Intelligence.

Accolades galore have been showered on her who was conferred the Magsaysay award for her stint as IG prisons (Tihar jail) and also the Mother Teresa award for social justice, besides the gallantry award.

ANI