New Delhi - Policemen in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar protested on Saturday against a new fitness standards calling for penalties for officers failing to fight the fat on a force known for its rotund midriffs.
"Our police force should look smart, be educated and serve the common man well. These orders were issued in this perspective only," Superintendent of Police in capital city Patna, NH Khan, told New Delhi Television.
Patna's policemen threatened to launch a job action to protest the new fitness regime. Police Association member Prem Singh said, "They should exercise in order to combat criminals. But they should not be thrown out for failing to do so."
Continues Below ↓
"It is wrong on part of the officers to take action in this regard. The belly bulges out naturally with age," said policeman Umesh Kumar.
' The belly bulges out naturally with age' The pot-bellied cop is almost symbolic of the lethargy and corruption that has plagued India's policing system for decades. In recent months many senior officials have tried to trim the flab.
In July fat police officers in central Madhya Pradesh state pooled their money for an elaborate prayer ceremony to ask God to transfer their fitness-minded boss, rather than succumb to a workout.
Police Superintendent Rajesh Gupta of Morena in Madhya Pradesh had warned his staff to shape up or face suspension.
Gupta is in charge of the Chambal ravines, notorious for its rugged and cruel terrain and infested with gangsters, who routinely hold fat policemen for ransom, steal officers' weapons or simply outrun them.
"Their prayer won't reduce their weight and I will not budge from my stand," Gupta said. - Sapa-dpa
'Their prayer won't reduce their weight and I will not budge from my stand'
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
