DGP sanctions aid to police station officers for crime investigation

The order also states that each police station will have at least one investigation unit consisting of three policemen, headed by an officer, and women personnel can be provided, if necessary.

Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra, Sanjeev Dayal has sanctioned aid to police station personnel for purposes of investigation. These include dedicated investigation units at each police station which will be free from other duties, vehicles for exclusive use of these units, modern interrogation rooms and investigation kits as well as legal cells, libraries and forensic investigation vehicles for each commissionerate or district. Police officials said that the order, passed on May 24, would help in investigation of crimes at the police station level.

“Each police station will have a separate investigation wing which will be entrusted with the exclusive responsibility of investigation of all sessions cases. Under no circumstances will officers or constabulary assigned to the investigation wing be committed to any other category of investigation or be withdrawn for the discharge of law and order duties. All other offences registered at the police station shall continue to be allocated as per procedure applied prior to this standing order,” the order states.

When contacted, Dayal confirmed the order and added that it was passed in keeping with the directives of the Supreme Court.

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“The proposal had been under consideration for a long time. We even undertook a study some time back and confirmed that it was possible to segregate the existing manpower in this manner,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti.

The order also states that each police station will have at least one investigation unit consisting of three policemen, headed by an officer, and women personnel can be provided, if necessary. The order sanctions two-wheelers and four-wheelers for exclusive use of the units, an armed component and additional manpower when required, an interrogation room, an investigation kit for each police station and separate file cabinets and lockers for paperwork generated during investigation. Each district will have a ‘legal cell’ to assist the units. It will have ‘law officers’, hired legal professionals and hired retired officials. There will be a ‘law library’ at each police station for ready reference of investigation units and ‘supervisory officers’.

A vehicle for housing of all forensic equipment with a driver will be at the disposal of the district or commissionerate forensic team. This team will be responsible for detection, collection and packing of physical or trace evidence from the scene of crime. For collection of any digital evidence, a ‘support unit’ or mobile forensic team will provide assistance, the order adds.

gautam.mengle@expressindia.com

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