Chennai: In a state where the police to public ratio is 1:700, it will not be possible for police personnel to protect every individual at a personal level, noted former DGP, A X Alexander.

Delivering his speech on Tuesday on the subject 'police and its critics' at a function organised by Rotary Club of Madras, Alexander, defended the police who have come under lot of criticism after the murder of Swathi, an Infosys employee at Nungambakkam station on June 24.

“One can easily ask why there was no CCTV on Nungambakkam railway station. But one should also understand railway stations are managed by Southern Railways. The railways may have their own financial issues, their own priorities,” he noted.

He also pointed out that all railway stations would not have police stations.
“The Nungambakkam railway station comes under Egmore railway station. I believe the murder happened at a time when usually a new duty shift starts. By the time fresh people came to duty from Egmore and attended to the murder at Nungambakkam, there was a delay,” he explained.

Police will not be able to do magic and detect a murder in two days, as so many seem to be demanding. It is not fair for anybody to impose a time frame on a probe. As far as the Swathi case was concerned, the Chennai police had conducted a systematic probe, despite heavy pressure, and nailed the suspect, he added.