Bombay HC suggests special police unit to probe serious crimes

Emphasising the need for prompt and timely completion of investigations, the Bombay High Court today suggested setting up of a special unit in the police to probe serious crimes like murder and offences related to women.

Timely investigation into serious offences like murder, rape and other cases pertaining to women or minors is the need of the hour, a division bench of Justices N H Patil and G S Kulkarni said.

The court was hearing a case of rape and kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl. The girl's father had filed a petition seeking permission to terminate her 26-week pregnancy.

The court had, earlier this month, permitted the girl to terminate her pregnancy but had sought to know from the police the status of the investigation in the case.

Government counsel Abhinandan Vagyani today told the court that the FIR was registered in the case last July when the girl was kidnapped. In March, the girl and the accused person were traced to Uttar Pradesh and brought to Mumbai.

"While initially, only a charge of kidnapping was levelled against the accused, rape and other relevant charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) were added later," he said.

The court expressed its dissatisfaction with the fact that the FIR was lodged last July and for eight months the police did nothing.

"The police should not take such cases casually. When the law and courts and judges take such cases seriously why is the police taking it lightly. Probe in such cases, which involves minors or women, should be done on a priority basis," the court said.

"It is time the police is divided into two units. One for law and order and one special unit only for probing serious crimes like murder, rape and other women related offences. Police, nowadays, have no time to probe cases as they are most of the times put on bandobast duty or on special duty during religious festivals," Justice Patil said.

The court asked Vagyani to take up the issue with the state home department secretary for consideration. It also said the government should conduct special workshops for the police on how to handle such cases.

The bench added that senior police officers should keep a constant check on the status of each and every case in their jurisdiction.

"Zero pendency should be the aim in such cases. Senior officers above the rank of deputy commissioners of police should continuously monitor the status of cases till charge sheet is filed," the court said.