HC asks police to use social media, mobile in tracing missing

Madras High Court Bench here today suggested police personnel be trained in modern technologies including the use of computers, social media, mobile phones and Global Positioning System (GPS), in tracing missing persons.
A bench comprising Justices S Manikumar and V S Ravi, in a common interim order on a batch of habeas corpus petitions, issued a series of guidelines, after taking views and suggestions from police officials, including Madurai Police Commissioner Sanjay Mathur.
The Judges said though the Director General of Police claimed that officials were trained in using e-mail, mobile phones, Whatsapp etc, the case diaries revealed Investigation Officers did not use such facilities, stressing the need for using sites such as Facebook to locate the missing persons.

The court even suggested police officials who had good knowledge of latest technologies could be given promotion.
Quarterly training should be given in the latest technologies at district level. The Mobile service provider also should extend their assistance for speedy investigation.
It was the duty of the service providers, including mobile operators, to help the police in investigation of crimes. Right to privacy was not applicable when detecting a crime.

The Judges also asked the Police to study the possibility of using technology used by some companies to track their work force to track the missing persons.
Suggesting compulsory installation of GPS in public vehicles, the court said details of missing persons should be uploaded in district, state-level and National Crime Record Bureaux. A nation-wide data base of missing persons could also be created.

A state-level officer in the rank of IG and special team could be constituted and this could be in charge of all cases relating to missing persons.
A DSP could be appointed as a nodal officer to collect all the details of missing persons and passing on them to other states.
The cases were posted to tomorrow for further hearing.