Mohali police get investigation wing
MORE TEETH: Police stations will be dealing only with petty crimes that carry punishment up to three years, while the Bureau of Investigation will take up heinous crime cases
The police in Mohali will now have an investigation wing that will be separate from the law and order wing.
With the appointment of superintendents and deputy superintendents of police, the Punjab Bureau of Investigation (BOI) in Mohali is finally taking shape. The BOI is tasked with focusing on heinous and serious criminal cases in a professional, scientific and time-bound manner, to ensure effective investigation and better conviction.
SC ORDERED EXCLUSION
In line with the Supreme Court’s 2014 orders to have separate investigative and law and order wings in all states, Punjab has set up the BOI in Mohali, projected as the future city of Punjab, which will be functional soon.
Harbir Singh Atwal has been posted as the superintendent of police in BOI. The district already has DSPs for dealing with property crimes, crimes against women and children, major crimes, criminal groups, emergency response system, and criminal intelligence, cyber and forensic, financial, technical support.
Many of these DSPs posted in the district will be provided with office space in the new building of Sohana police station in Mohali.
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL POSTING AN OPTION
“Though the officers posted at BOI will be entrusted with investigations, Punjab has to keep open the option of engaging them in the law and order wing as well, if the need arises,” said a senior police official, not willing to be named.
The official added, “As per the draft, the police station will be dealing with only those petty crimes that carry punishment up to three years while the BOI will be taking over investigations of all heinous crimes.”
Mohali has in the last few years seen a rise in the movement of gangsters and gang wars leading to murders.
“Having a separate investigation wing will expedite investigations. The need to keep the function of investigation separate from law and order duties is so that investigation of heinous crimes, in particular, does not get hindered due any urgency in law and order duties,” said Mohali senior superintendent of police, Kuldeep Singh Chahal.
PLAN PROPOSED IN ’15
The notification to set up the Bureau of Investigation was issued in 2015 by the then SAD-BJP government, but the project never materialised. In February this year, Punjab chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, finally gave a nod to it.
As per the proposal, constables to inspector-rank officials will be part of the investigation wing, but SPs and DSPs posted in the BOI can be transferred to Punjab Police for law and order duties as well and vice versa. The recruitment of constables and inspector-level officials will start by the end of September.