After MP,Gujarat empowers constables to investigate criminal cases

The decision was taken by Director General of Police (DGP) S S Khandwawala recently,by using the provisions in Section 23(F) of the Bombay Police Act 1951,which is applicable in the state. A notification (a copy of which is with of this newspaper) to this effect was issued on June 18.

The provision allows the DGP and police commissioners to decide the duties to be carried out by the personnel of all ranks and grades in their jurisdiction.

But before taking the decision,the DGP and senior police officers dwelt deep into the issue. As the Rajkot police commissionerate had been using constables for investigations into bailable cases since 2000 itself,the DGP procured a report on the performance of constables who have investigated hundreds of cases in the last nine years and chargesheeted the accused.

The report was an eye opener for Khandwawala and other officers. They found that investigations in majority of the cases ended up in convictions. This convinced Khandwawala and his colleagues to extend it all over the state.

The notification particularly noted that majority of the constables recruited in the last few years possessed graduate and postgraduate qualifications with sufficient knowledge of computer operation. So,it was worthwhile to use them for investigations of criminal offences as well.

According to the notification,constables with graduate qualification and five years of service could be considered for handling investigations of criminal cases by police station in-charges.

Khandwawala could not be contacted as he is away in Delhi to attend a conference,but Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sudhir Sinha said that the decision had been formally communicated to police commissioners in Ahmedabad,Rajkot,Vadodara and Surat as well as superintendents of police in all the districts,for implementation.

He said the MP government had authorised the constables for investigation into criminal cases after the Rajkot experiment.

He said that former MP Chief Minister Digvijay Singh was on a family visit to Rajkot in 2000 when he came to know of constables in Rajkot conducting investigations of criminal cases. On his return,he the same in all the urban areas in his state.