Baharul Alam: I have been holding regular meetings with the members of the investigation teams at regional and district levels. I’ve been doing this for quite some time. Wherever there are allegations against individuals, we are verifying them and instructing the police to ensure that innocent people are released promptly. In every meeting, I ask how many interim reports have been submitted under Section 173(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Even if no one applies for exemption claiming to be innocent, I strongly believe that the district superintendent of police should, on their own initiative, ensure the release of the innocent. However, for various reasons, there is a certain reluctance and hesitation within the police regarding the submission of these reports. We are trying to overcome that.

The petitions I receive daily are sent to the respective districts, and we monitor them from the central level. So far, 136 interim reports have been submitted, and about 236 more are being processed. This process is ongoing.

There have also been cases involving police officers who were not involved in any crime. Some have been falsely accused or harassed through transfers from one workplace to another. I am insisting that justice must be ensured in these cases as well, because restoring the morale of my force is a major issue—and as the head of the police, I must address that.

There are some legal complications in taking action against those involved in the harassment. If a case is entirely false, the law provides for punishment. But if the incident itself is true and only the names of innocent people have been added, then there is no clear legal provision for punishment. Still, wherever evidence is found, we are taking direct action against fraud or unlawful influence.