The view that there should be a separate and exclusive cadre of investigating agency to investigate offences in every district subject to supervision by the higher authorities seems to be gaining currency among police officers here. They cite the developed country where crime investigation has a separate wing.
In Uttarakhand, however, investigating officers at the police station are assigned law and order duty too. Things are such that the investigative officers hardly get time to focus on the assigned investigation duty-something that adversely impacts the conviction rate. Moreover, in Uttarakhand, policing system with separate investigation wings, working independent of personnel involved in law and order policing was introduced way back in 2008. However, it was withdrawn in 2010 as police officers faced difficulties with the system. There were shortcomings in the system with the station police officers not being rightly trained.
A police officer said that investigation officers are over-burdened with law and order errands being added to their load. Things are turning grim with crimes spiraling in the State. Each police station is being crammed with day to day crime cases. Complaints- either minor or major-are being lodged in the police stations. This is resulting in space shrinking for the investigative officers to remain focused on the assigned investigation duty.
In order to facilitate quality investigation and to increase conviction rate, a system with separate investigation wings, working independent of personnel involved in law and order policing is an imperative, a senior police official said. Under the system, the investigation command will have separate staff till the rank of station house officer (SHO) so that they could work more efficiently.
When a case is taken up for investigation by an officer of such agency, he should be in charge of the case all through till the conclusion of the trial. He should take the responsibility for producing witnesses and the accused and also for assisting the prosecuting agency. The police official entrusted with the investigation of grave offences should be allowed to work separate and distinct from those entrusted with the enforcement of law and order and other miscellaneous duties.
The hierarchy of the officers in such agency should have adequate training and incentives to further effective investigations. State Additional Director General of Police Ram Singh Meena had recently attended the meeting of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), an apex body in the areas of police research, correctional administration, training and modernisation held in New Delhi involving several States.
Various aspects on improving quality in investigation and the conviction rate were discussed. Even the judiciary has also stated that there should be separate wing of investigation to improve conviction rate and to ensure quality investigation in sub-judice cases, said the official. Whether separate investigation wing in the police stations should be started as a part of pilot project in the cities with pollution of over 10 lakh was also discussed in course of the meeting, Meena said.a