HYDERABAD: People visiting the office of the Station House Officer (SHO) of Langer Houz Police Station on Monday evening had to take off their footwear before entering his chamber. A picture of a burqa-clad woman standing barefoot next to slippers lying on the steps leading to the SHO’s office has been doing the rounds on social media with the caption “Humiliation of the public”.
The picture was taken and posted online by a person visiting the police station. It quickly went viral and attracted angry reactions and comments from the public. Citizens demanded that the police change their behaviour and attitude towards them. “The police are following a colonial practice by forcing people from poor families to remove their footwear outside, while the rich and influential walk in with their shoes on,” complained Congress leader Mohammed Ghouse.
Amjed Ullah Khan, the leader of the Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) said that the practice was not uncommon. “Even at press conferences, accused persons are forced to remove their footwear and stand behind police officers, which is against the guidelines of the Supreme Court,” he said. Sources say that the woman in the picture was at the police station to obtain a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC). The police constable standing at the entrance of the SHO’s chamber asked visitors to remove their footwear before entering.
C. Anjaiah, the Inspector of Langer Houz, admitted that visitors were asked to remove their footwear before entering his chamber. “As it rained on Monday evening, there was a lot of sludge in front of my chamber. A home guard asked visitors to remove their shoes so that the room was not dirtied,” he said.
Not in police manual: Activists
Human rights activists are not convinced by the police’s contention that people were asked to remove their footwear because of the accumulation of slush. “Police officials and politicians ask the public to remove their footwear before entering their offices,” said Lateef Mohd Khan, general secy of Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee. He said no rule in police manuals mentioned that visitors and accused persons had to remove their footwear and stand with their hands folded in front of officers.
