Special IOs for crime cases yielding results

IMPHAL, May 16: Charge sheets for 5000 crime related cases have already been prepared and 22000 more cases are pending after exclusive officers for investigation of crimes were assigned, according to a highly ranked police officer.

The information was provided by DIG Range-I IK Muivah a few days back while delivering a speech on the topic ‘Crime against Women and Challenges of Manipur Police.’ He said that Manipur Police Department has assigned a separate team of investigation officers for dealing with crime related cases only on a trial basis in Imphal West district. The investigation officers were not to be engaged in other duties like ROP, counter insurgency and other purposes.

After the officers had taken charges of their new duties the number of cases charge sheeted in the district has increased. Around 5000 cases have been charge sheeted till today, he said terming the result as a commendable achievement for the state police and the outcome of the hard work of the investigation officers.

On the other hand, in the same district separate woman police station with women IOs to investigate crime cases related specifically to the gender was established in April 22, 2014 and within a period of two years 146 cases have been registered. Almost 49 cases have been charge sheeted and 17 cases have been disposed.

For Imphal East District, the first woman police station was established in May 1, 2014 and in the last two years 83 women related crime case have been registered, out of which 39 cases have been charge sheeted. It is the hard work of the women police officers that the proportion of cases charge sheeted had reached high figures of 28% and 47% in Imphal West District and Imphal East districts respectively, he said.

Earlier, most of the manpower of the state police force was fully engaged in counter insurgency operation, as Manipur is a known insurgency prone area, and guarding high ranking officers and Government establishments.

The women police officers have been advised to provide awareness to girl students at schools that are covered under their jurisdictions. Police is always trying to have good relationship with local people if there is an occurrence of woman related crime, the officer said. At present police can complete investigation of cases within two months and send charge sheet but cases got bogged down at court only. However, public always blamed the police for delays and discrepancies, said IK Muivah DIG.

Meantime, the DIG Muivah has highlighted the need for upgradation of the existing forensic science labs and establishment of a DNA test centre because sending materials for forensic test to outside states take a lot of time.