Police have the most important and crucial role in maintaining law an order in the State. The rule of law is not to be chained in the books and sermons but to be made operative on ground. In modern society, police are not just a body to use muscle power so that law and order are maintained. The days have gone when illiterate or meagerly literate youth were recruited in Police Department, given perfunctory training and then deployed in the field. Life has become very complicated and dimensional in our times. In particular, the rises of terrorism and fundamentalism have brought new responsibilities for the police force. In particular, the crime branch has to be diversified in investigating criminal cases, collecting evidence an establishing or not establishing a case against a suspect. Investigation has become scientific and the courts demand that the police conduct investigation along scientific lines which are foolproof and reliable. This has necessitated recruitment of educated and intelligent youth in the police force.
While dealing with a petition wherein acquittal order of a criminal was challenged by the rape victim’s mother, Justice Hasnain Masoodi arrived at the conclusion that the police needed updated training in modern methods of investigation to establish a crime. He considers that investigators have to be specially trained in using scientific devices and won’t allow criminals to be declared innocent before the court of law owing to the failure of prosecution. In this background, the State High Court has directed the Government to create and sanction at least 200 posts of qualified officers in Police for investigation so that criminals may not go scot free. These officer should have studied Science especially Chemistry in their school or college education to help them understand modern technology of investigation.
We often find that investigation made by the police in various criminal cases is challenged and proved wrong in a court of law. The common belief is that the investigating police officials can be corrupted with a bribe and they can maneuver a report that helps the criminal escape scot free. This may and often does lead to the plaintiff approaching the higher court for justice. In the process the workload for the judiciary increases. It is this aspect that the High Court has taken into account and ordered creation of 200 new posts of police officers to streamline investigating process. We are not sure whether the Government would be prepared to provide budget for thee posts and it remains to be seen what will be its reaction to the court order. But we appreciate the High Court stressing on the need of scientific investigation in criminal cases.
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