As a child, watching movies about policemen inspired me and many other teenagers to think about joining the police force someday, with dreams of working for the country and making a positive impact in society.

Hello, everyone. My name is Pardeep Singh. I run a small business selling ready-made clothes in Amritsar. Today, I want to share my views on the reality I’ve experienced with the Punjab Police, based on an incident with my friend.

Incident 1: July 2020

One of my close friends, Ankush, was going through a difficult time. Coming from a poor family, he worked incredibly hard to become successful in his 30s. He landed a good job in IT and got engaged through a matrimonial site. His fiancée, Ankita, seemed to bring happiness to his life, and we were all thrilled for him.

After a month, Ankush moved to Chandigarh for his job and started living with his new wife. However, as time went by, it became clear that they had different approaches to money. Ankush’s modest background made him cautious with spending, while Ankita liked shopping and dining out. Their arguments became frequent, and Ankush grew increasingly stressed and depressed. Eventually, Ankita left him and returned to her parents.

Instead of helping their daughter resolve the situation, Ankita’s parents filed a police complaint against Ankush with false allegations, claiming he beat her, drank heavily, and demanded dowry. This terrified Ankush—he feared losing everything he had worked so hard to achieve.

He called me, crying over the phone, and I reassured him that I would support him. The next day, we went to the women’s cell, known as the “Mahila Mandal,” where Ankita’s family was already present. Right from the start, the police officers shouted at us without even listening to our side of the story.

Before this, former chairperson Manisha Gulati had suggested we go to the Lok Adalat. Unfortunately, this seemed like a scam. They didn’t consider Ankush’s situation and immediately treated him as guilty. Moreover, she filmed Ankush being scolded and posted it on social media, creating a narrative that didn’t represent the truth.

Later, we were summoned to the local police station, where the inspector once again shouted at us without hearing our side. Ankush was terrified. Soon, it became clear that Ankita’s family had bribed the police, which was why they were treating us this way. The inspector called me aside privately, using indirect words to suggest I “resolve” the matter for a fee. Her driver then explained the “terms”: to close the case quickly without being publicly humiliated would cost us ₹5 lakh; if we wanted a smoother process without insults, it would cost ₹2.5 lakh.

I was shocked. It felt unreal that a government-appointed police force could exploit people in this way. They should be solving these matters transparently, not turning sad situations into ways to profit.

After a difficult discussion, Ankush decided to pay the ₹5 lakh to avoid public humiliation. He arranged the money, though it was a huge amount for him, hoping he could return to a peaceful life and rebuild what he’d lost. The inspector influenced Ankita’s family to agree to a divorce in exchange for an alimony of ₹12 lakh. Ankush took out a personal loan, paid the sum, and finally got divorced.

This experience was heartbreaking, and it shattered my trust in the police. I realized that I could never recommend anyone to join a force where bribes and exploitation are so deeply embedded.

It’s painful to see the police exploit poor families, taking bribes when their duty is to serve with honesty. Our Honorable Chief Minister, S. Bhagwant Mann, has promised to eliminate corruption from Punjab, and while he has taken some steps, corrupt officers still find ways to charge bribes, even claiming the increased “strictness” is due to new rules by the CM.

I’ve seen news stories about other such incidents. In one case, a shopkeeper was brutally beaten by a police inspector simply because he asked for payment when the inspector’s wife bought groceries. In another, a police officer harassed a biker at a traffic signal, finding fault even though the biker had all necessary papers, just to collect a fine.

Why are they doing this?

Is corruption just part of the system, or are these officers being forced to demand bribes due to low salaries and delayed payments? This is a tragic reality that makes one wonder about the state of our government systems and values.