Palamu police to separate investigation wing from law and order duties

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Daltonganj, October 30: Palamu police are preparing to introduce a new policing initiative that separates investigation duties from routine law and order responsibilities, aiming to improve the quality of criminal investigations and reduce delays in disposing of cases.

The initiative seeks to move away from the traditional system in which police personnel handle both investigation and general policing duties. Under the proposed arrangement, officers interested in investigation and capable of handling its demands will be identified and oriented for specialised responsibilities.

Police sources said the initiative would help investigators devote more time to examining cases, collecting evidence and preparing chargesheets without being frequently diverted to other duties.

SP Holds Orientation Programme for Interested Officers

A one-day training-cum-orientation programme on the separation of investigation police from law and order police was organised on Thursday, October 29, under the chairmanship of Superintendent of Police Kapil Chaudhary at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Smriti Bhavan in Daltonganj.

The programme was attended by all five sub-divisional police officers, circle inspectors, police station officers-in-charge and investigating officers.

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Explaining the purpose of the initiative, SP Kapil Chaudhary said the programme was intended for officers willing and capable of taking up specialised investigation responsibilities.

“I didn’t mean the whole herd of cops to rush in for this orientation course on separation of investigation police from law and order police”

He further said, “Only those cops who nurse a dream or ambition to be a smart investigator and has enough mettle in them to cope with the demands of the investigation attended this orientation”

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Routine Duties Often Delay Investigations

Explaining the need for separating the two functions, Chaudhary said police personnel assigned to general duties had to handle multiple responsibilities, including VIP security, crowd and mob management, traffic regulation, routine patrolling and day-to-day policing.

“An OD police (officer on police duty) has a myriad of work duties and responsibilities like becoming protecter for VIP, crowd or mob management, traffic regulations, routine patrol and day to day policing which pushes the investigation procedures to the back seat causing enormous delay in reaching logical conclusion.”

He emphasised that investigation should not be relegated to the background, as delays and poor-quality investigations undermine public confidence in the police.

The SP said, “Quality investigation wins trust of common people immediately. Police’s stock in public suddenly shoots up.”

Supreme Court Had Directed Separation of Duties

The separation of investigation from law and order policing is not an entirely new concept in India. The Supreme Court, in its 2006 judgment in Prakash Singh and Others vs Union of India, directed State governments to separate the investigation function from law and order duties in a phased manner.

Similar arrangements have been introduced in several states, including Bihar, from which Jharkhand was carved out.

A retired IPS officer who had served in undivided Palamu, which then included the present-day districts of Garhwa and Latehar, welcomed the initiative.

“It’s good to hear investigation police are going to have an independent entity of its own, this young SP Kapil deserves two cheers for this segmentation long overdue.”

The former officer also illustrated how competing responsibilities could affect the quality of investigations.

“Imagine a cop rushes in the field and tries to solve a case of theft of ox or goat when the cop had a case on hand to crack a murder case. Will that cop be able to do justice to his murder investigation procedure”

Manpower Shortage Remains a Challenge

Police sources, however, pointed to the shortage of personnel as a major challenge in implementing the proposed arrangement.

They said that maintaining separate teams for investigation and law and order duties at police stations would require adequate manpower, which many police stations currently lack.

The emergence of newer forms of crime, particularly cyber fraud and data theft, has also increased the demands on investigating officers.

Despite these challenges, the Palamu SP expressed confidence that specialised investigation would improve police performance, reduce delays in filing chargesheets and enhance the prospects of conviction.

Focus on BNSS and Evidence Laws

The orientation programme also focused on sensitising police personnel to the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.

Officials discussed the finer aspects of investigation under the new criminal laws and the importance of following proper procedures in evidence collection and case documentation.

A police officer attending the programme highlighted the challenges involved in tracking offenders who flee the country or hide in distant parts of India.

“What you find in Delhi. A criminal after the commission of crime tries to flee India. Back here in Palamu a criminal tries to hide himself in the jam jelly factory in an Indian state Kerala or mixes with the teeming millions of any metropolis city to live a life in hiding.”

The officer added, “Discovering both fleeing India or hiding in fruit beverage companies is challenging and exciting, little short of exotic”

Palamu’s Policing Initiative Under Watch

The proposed separation of investigation from law and order duties is expected to give specialised investigators greater scope to focus on evidence gathering, timely chargesheeting and building stronger cases before courts.

However, its success will depend on the availability of adequate personnel, effective coordination between the two wings and sustained training.

The coming months will show how effectively Palamu police translate the initiative into a functioning system.