Seven years after the Supreme Court issued directions for separation of investigation and law and order functions of police, the Union Home Ministry has finally made a move in the direction.
The ministry has advised the States to create a separate branch of crime investigation by bifurcation in a police station and inducting selected sub-inspectors who would report to their respective Station House Officers (SHOs) and work under his command and control. The Ministry has also offered to provide fresh training to the identified Sub-Inspectors at the Central Detective Training Schools of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
A BPR&D study has pointed out that crime control, crime prevention and surveillance remained the top priority of the SHO followed by public order and security duties. At the district level a District Crime Branch should be created to probe sensational and complex crimes involving multiple jurisdictions under the SP, the Ministry said. The District Crime Branch should probe Specially Reported cases (major terror, criminal and economic offences).
Underlining that priorities at the police station may vary depending upon the geographical location and the relevance of local issues involved, the ministry expected that crime investigation should be the priority of every SHO manning a police station.
The Centre has also suggested division of duties at the police station into three broad functions---mandatory (registration of crimes, modus operandi branch, service of summons/warrants), public order (patrolling, bandobast, surveillance of active criminals) and investigation.
The ministry has also proposed that three SIs and six constables working in three shifts could be provided for carrying out investigative function of every police station. All heinous crimes and special report cases may be investigated the investigative wing.
“It is felt that there cannot be any further delay, and the stage has come for issue of appropriate directions to all States/Union Territories for immediate compliance of Supreme Court judgment (regarding separation of investigation and law and order function of the police). The quality of Criminal Justice System in the country, to a large extent, depends upon the working of the police force. Thus having regard to the large public interest, it is absolutely necessary to issue the requisite directions,” the ministry told the States in a note.
It added, “Investigation of cases is taken up only when there is intense pressure and there is excessive reliance on oral evidence. As the evidence gathering is not professional enough, the case might not stand scrutiny of the court and in the process the real culprits go scot-free and worsen the overall crime situation and even worse, the possibility of framing of innocents based on oral evidence is very high.”
The Centre admitted that maintenance of public order being the topmost and pressing priority of the police stations, there is little time for investigation of cases. As a result, work accumulates and even writing of case diaries are kept pending until transfer of the investigating officer.
The Centre has also urged the States to introduce the concept of community policing for improved interface and reduction in crime rates.