236
theft and burglary. The bad characters are exclu-
sively connected with offences against property.
There is no note as to whether the consumption
of these drugs or intoxicants is to excess or in
moderation. In inquiries which police make, and
in the reports they submit, they never discriminate
between excessive and moderate use. Not in any
reports I have seen. Their attention has never
been drawn to this by rule. All I see in such
reports is merely a statement that a man is addict-
ed to the drug. From this I cannot judge whe-
ther he is a habitual moderate consumer or a
dissolute wreck from the drug.
In general, I am unable to connect professional
crime (theft, burglary, dacoity) with hemp drugs
in any way. I wrote on this subject to Mr.
Harris, District Superintendent of Police of Gaya,
an officer of twenty-eight years' service, whom I
regard as having special powers of observation and
special knowledge of the language and habits of the
people. He says: "One hears of a madaki chor,
but never of a ganja chor. I cannot call to mind
any case of any kind in which it was alleged that
the offence had been committed in consequence of
the use of ganja, bhang or charas." I concur in
this in respect to the general statement, that there
is no established connection in the way of cause
and effect between hemp drugs and professional
crime.
Question 53.—The cases to which I refer here
are cases mentioned by District Superintendents
of Police in reporting to me on this subject in
connection with my inquiries on behalf of the
Commission. I have not looked into the cases
myself, and cannot say how far they are really
cases of violent crime due to hemp drugs. I have
not myself in the course of my duty had to inquire
into, and come to a conclusion on, this question.
Murders are not regarded as part of professional
crime, and therefore the special reports are not
sent to me. They go to the Commissioners of
Divisions. I receive only special reports of pro-
fessional or preventible crime. From a police
point of view, murder is not a preventible offence.
Therefore reports in these cases do not come to
me. I merely deal with the statistics of such crime,
and report on them at the end of the year.
Question 45.—Breaches of discipline involving
any degree of punishment (including dismissal)
are dealt with in case of constables by the Dis-
trict Superintendent of Police with appeal to the
District Magistrate and finally to the Commis-
sioner. I have only to deal with cases which
have so terminated as to seem to require a refer-
ence to the Local Government for revision. This
is very rare. This procedure, as far as I am
concerned, is the same for all officers below the
grade of inspectors. I only deal myself with
the case of inspectors of fourth and third grades,
and in the case of inspectors of first and second
grades Imake recommendations, which I have
to forward to the Local Government. I do not
see the monthly Force Returns of punishments.
They go to the Deputy. Inspectors-General. The
annual statistics which I receive do not show
detailed cause of punishment. I only look into
the punishment figures when inspecting districts:
there I go through selected proceedings, and in
these cases only do I acquire knowledge of details.
If I found that any old member of the force had
been dismissed, I should go into his case, but not
into the case of a man who had only short service
unless he petitioned. As far as my own experi-
ence goes, I have never had a case brought before
me in which hemp drugs have been mentioned
in connection with the offence or breach of dis-
cipline for which the constable or police officer
was punished. Neither of my Deputy Inspect-
ors-General has brought to my notice that there
is evidence of hemp drugs having any tendency to
sap the discipline of the force. Between us we
inspect every district of the province and a con-
siderable number of sub-divisions every year.
The district executive force consists of 17,619
constables, 1,272 town chaukidars, 2,346 head
constables, 901 sub-inspectors, and 151 inspect-
ors. This is the sanctioned strength. The vast
majority are natives. A few inspectors and sub-
inspectors are Europeans and Eurasians. A cer-
tain proportion of the lowest grades are from the
North-Western Provinces and the Punjab—noth-
ing like half the force.
Statement put in by Mr. Henry.
Statement showing rank and castes of members of the Bengal Police Force (a) dismissed, (b) punished
other than by dismissal, for incapacity or defect brought about by the use of intoxicants during 1893.
RANK.
CASTE.
PUNISHED OTHERWISE
THAN BY DISMISSAL FOR
INCAPACITY OR OTHER
DEFECTS ARISING FROM
USE OF
DISMISSED FOR INCAPA-
CITY OR OTHER DEFECTS.
ARISING FROM USE OF
Inspector. Sub-In-
spector.
Head
Constable. Constable.
Choukidars.
Sudra. Musalman.
Gurkha.
Bhutia.
Brahmin. Bhang. Ganja. Alcohol.
Opium.
Bhang. Ganja. Alcohol. Opium.
2
2
16
8
6
2
1
3
3
11
1
5
86. Evidence of MR. W. D. PRATT, District Superintendent of
Police,
Bhagalpur.
3. Bhagalpur.
It is very abundant in the
Supaul and Madhipura Sub-Divisions.
4. I only know it by the term bhang,
5. It likes a light soil.
6. Dense and scattered. I have seen it eight
feet high. It is a difficult jungle to eradicate.
7. I never heard of any cultivation of the
wild bhang. There is no occasion for any; it is
so plentiful.