Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 19
To enforce strict investigation in criminal cases, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered specific targets to be set for investigation of criminal cases by police officers across ranks.
With this, all police officers, from the rank of CPs and SPs down to SHOs, SIs and HCs, would be required to personally investigate and present challans in a set number of cases in a year with strict supervision by senior officials.
Regular follow-ups, as well as close coordination with prosecution and law officers, is mandatory as per the Chief Minister's directives.
As per the directives issued by DGP Dinkar Gupta—on the orders of the Chief Minister—ADCPs in the three Police Commissionerates and SPs posted in the districts would personally investigate at least six heinous crimes in a year, and submit challans under their own name, and the ACP/ DSP Sub-Divisions have to investigate at least eight cases a year.
SPs/DSPs of PBI and Investigation/Detective shall personally investigate at least 18 crime cases in a year, including those of heinous IPC crime, commercial quantity NDPS cases etc, and submit challans under their own name, with all similarly mandated to investigate and submit challans in at least 6 heinous crime cases in a year.
The targets also cover SHOs of over 400 police stations, that shall investigate at least 8 heinous crime cases and file challans in a year.
The Chief Minister said, that he had been "constrained" to set these targets after observing the investigation and prosecution cases—which should be the key job of all officers— has taken a back seat due to lack of commitment to Law and Order duties, work pressures and lack of supervision by the gazetted police officers who are responsible for enforcing accountability of the Investigating Officers of various ranks.
To enforce accountability, Supervisory Officers (SPs/SDPOs and DSPs) have been directed to personally involve themselves with the investigations.
CP/SSPs have been asked to ensure that all the SOs posted in the districts comply with the directions set for investigation.
The situation was particularly worrying in heinous crime cases, such as murder, attempt to murder, armed robbery/dacoity, Rape, Kidnapping, extortion, POCSO Act, NDPS Act cases of commercial quantity, UAPA Act, IT Act, and other sensation cases involving crimes against women, children and weaker sections of society or crimes having inter-state ramifications.
Even in these cases, the Chief Minister said, that he noticed the SOs are not being guided and directed by senior officers efficiently and effectively.
Besides this, it was noticed that SHOs and SIs posted at police stations did not personally investigate heinous crime, and that they would hand over the case to lower subordinates which was a gross violation of the provisions of the law.
The ACP/DSP Sub-Divisions, and officers of PBI, have to camp out at the scene until the case is solved. This is for cases like murder, rape, atrocities against weaker sections of society, women and children, and other sensitive and sensational cases.
They have to guide the SHO during the investigation process, and give notes in the case.
As far as investigations by NGOs and Head Constables (HCs) are concerned, the DGP, in line with the Chief Minister's orders, has directed that directly recruited Sub Inspectors shall investigate at least 8 heinous crime cases, 10 Minor IPC cases and 10 Local amp; Special Law cases in one year.
Promoted Sub Inspectors and Assistant Sub Inspectors posted in Police Stations shall investigate at least 6 heinous crime cases, 10 other IPC cases and 15 Local and Special Law cases in one year, while regular HCs shall investigate at least 5 Minor IPC cases and 10 Local amp; Special Law cases in a year.
The investigations of all Special Reported cases shall be meticulously perused and coordinated by SOs with Prosecution Officers for proper trial management.
The DGP has further directed that IGP/DIG Ranges, CPs and SSPs shall ensure meticulous compliance of these directions and send a Compliance Report, along with the list of heinous crime cases being investigated by SOs, SHOs and directly recruited SIs to DBoI Punjab, by 5th January, 2021.
Gupta said the Chief Minister had earlier notified the Punjab Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and sanctioned over 125 posts of SPs and DSPs for the detection of heinous crimes.
Another 800 posts of domain experts, in the fields of law, forensics, commerce, IT and cyber crimes, had been sanctioned to support complex investigations.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3nDUxyw
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