Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary

Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary or Pradeshik Armed Constabulary, (UP-PAC) or just (PAC) is an armed police of Uttar Pradesh. It is maintained at key locations across state and active only on orders from the deputy inspector general and higher-level authorities. It is usually assigned to VIP duty or to maintain order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters. They are also deployed to quell outbreaks of student or labor unrest, organized crime, and communal riots; to maintain key guard posts; and to participate in antiterrorist operations. The Provincial Armed Constabulary is equipped with INSAS semi automatic guns and usually carries only lathis while controlling the mob during unrests. UP-PAC consists of a total of 20,000 personnel as of 2005, composed of 33 battalions located in different cities across the state as a wing of Uttar Pradesh Police. Each battalion is commanded by an IPS officer of Superintendent rank, and has seven to eight companies consisting of 120 to 150 Jawans, each company headed by a State Police officer of Inspector rank, who is usually referred to as Company Commander in the PAC. The PAC is headed by the Director General Provincial Armed Constabulary (DG PAC).^[1][2]

Awards

Mohammad Isa Company Commander of IV Battalion of the UP-PAC stationed at Allahabad was awarded Police Medal for Gallantry on 14 January 1957 for his successful encounter with armed dacoits in a forest near the Kurat village.^[3]

History

Following is the summary of ivents related to UP-PAC:^[2]

• 1937-1941: In 1937, a decision was taken to organise a Police force of sanctioned strength of 7,000 personnel to be organised along Military lines. 15 battalions of United Provinces Military Police were raised from fresh recruits and retired military jawans between 1937 and 1941, the majority (8 battalions) from Bhumihars and Rajputs from the Eastern part of the State (Poorvanchal), and 3 battalions with Jats and Tyagis from Meerut, Baghpat, Kairana, and Muzaffarnagar mixed with Poorvias; 3 battalions with Lodh Rajputs and Ahirs from Agra, Mathura, Aligarh and Bulandshahr mixed with Poorvias and Doabis/Jats both ; and 1 battalion raised from Rajputs and Ahirs of Moradabad, Bareilly, Aonla, Pilibhit, Badaun and Shahjahanpur, mixed with Poorvias. So from the beginning, the martial races and specifically the Poorvias constituted a majority of the composition of the force.
• 1948: United Provinces Military Police and United Provinces State Armed Constabulary were amalgamated into the United Provinces Provincial Armed Constabulary by enactment of The U.P. Pradeshik Armed Constabulary Act, 1948 - Uttar Pradesh
• 1950: Renamed to Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary due change of name of state
• 1956: Renamed to Uttar Pradesh Pradeshik Armed Constabulary by encatment of U.P. Act XXX of 1956
• 1967-73: 17 new battalions were raised, mostly from Poorvanchal but also 3 battalions from the Garhwali and Kumaoni hillmen, and martial races (Rajputs, Lodhs, Ahirs, Jats from Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand). The new battalions were mostly mixed caste ones.

A unit called Special Police Force (SPF) previously existed to operate in cooperation with Indian Army. In the 1990s the SPF was merged into the 9th battalion of the PAC, which is situated in Moradabad.

The 46 Battalion called Task Force existed till 1998 (Jawans use to wear insignia of Tiger on their Uniform's Arms), with the special task to fight Dacoits and Insurgents on achieving its goal was again converted to normal PAC Battalion (Presently located at Rudrapur, under Uttarakhand Provincial Armed Constabulary).

In May 1973, 12 battalions of the UP-PAC revolted and the Army was called in to control. About 30 policemen were killed and hundreds were arrested and dismissed from service.^[4] In 1982 two petitions to disband UP-PAC were filed in Supreme Court.^[5]

Allegations related to human rights violations

UP-PAC had been alleged to be involved in number of human rights violation cases,^[6] the blames include:

• worsening the situation during 1978 Aligarh riots,
• massacring more than 150 people during 1980 Moradabad riots,
• instigating communal violence in Meerut in 1982
• massacring over 40 people, all Muslims from the Hashimpura mohalla (locality) of the Meerut city in the incidence known as Hashimpura massacre,^[7]
• looting the markets in Kanpur while on duty in 2001^[8]

Recent events

In 2001 the Maoists looted 14 SLRs from Khoradih UP-PAC camp in Mirzapur.

In November 2004 the Naugharh landmine blast by Maoists in Chandauli district in which naxalites ambushed a police party, killing 17 policemen, 13 UP-PAC jawans and 4 UP-Police constables.^[9][10]

During 2013 North India floods UP-PAC and Army rescue teams shifted 25,000 to 30,000 people to safer places from flooded villages in Uttar Pradesh.^[11][12]

See also

• State Armed Police Forces

References

1. "Gazette of India, part I, section 1". Government of India. 19 January 1957. p. 16.
2. Official website Uttar Pradesh Police
3. "Police Medal for Gallantry". Retrieved 2013-06-25.
4. M. B. Chande (1997). The police in India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 473. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
5. Rivers of Blood: A Comparative Study of Government Massacres. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1 Jan 1995. p. 104. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
6. Ashok Malik (24 May 2011). "That '70s show". The Asian Age. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
7. "After 20 years, Hashimpura survivors find hope in RTI Act". Rediff.com. 25 May 2007. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
8. "PAC anti-Muslim bias confirmed; 7 jawans suspended for looting". Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, India. 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
9. "17 policemen killed in UP naxal ambush". rediff.com. 21 November 2004. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
10. "Cops to remain alert for CM's visit to Chandauli". The Times of India. 1 Jun 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
11. "Rivers still rising, over a dozen bodies recovered". The Times of India. 23 Jun 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
12. "UP flood: Death toll reaches 45". The Times of India. 23 Jun 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-25.