Delhi top cop orders separation of probe duties from law-and-order work

Delhi Commissioner of Police Satish Golchha has ordered all district units to strictly separate investigation duties from law-and-order work, directing them to strengthen District Investigation Units (DIUs) in a push to expedite criminal probes, officers aware of the matter said on Sunday

Delhi Commissioner of Police Satish Golchha has ordered all district units to strictly separate investigation duties from law-and-order work, directing them to strengthen District Investigation Units (DIUs) in a push to expedite criminal probes, officers aware of the matter said on Sunday.

(Photo for representation)

The directive was issued during a review meeting on Saturday. District heads have been told to identify one police station each for the pilot model, with selection based on objective parameters, including crime volume, FIR registrations, complaints, PCR calls, and law-and-order requirements.

Police officials said effective implementation could significantly transform policing at the station level, allowing investigation officers to focus exclusively on criminal cases while separate teams handle law-and-order responsibilities. “It will first be piloted in one police station per district, and the results will be shared with the police commissioner,” an officer added.

The move revives a 2018 reform initiated by Delhi Police following the Supreme Court’s directions in the Prakash Singh case, which mandated a separation of investigation from routine policing to ensure professional, time-bound probes. That effort, however, was discontinued within months.

Under the fresh orders, districts must assess the ideal strength of investigation teams, beat staff, law-and-order personnel, and administrative hands, including those managing dashboards and static duties. Crucially, investigation staff cannot be diverted for law-and-order arrangements -- at the subdivision, district, or city level --without explicit oral or written approval from senior officers.

“The objective is to ensure investigators remain focused on their cases and are not routinely diverted for VIP duties or other deployments. Better investigation quality directly improves conviction rates and public confidence,” a senior police officer said.

Officials said Golchha also emphasised strengthening DIUs, which are mandated to function as specialised multidisciplinary units handling complex and sensitive probes. However, within the force, these units are often viewed as postings for officers awaiting transfer or retirement. As part of the exercise, districts have been asked to transfer appropriate cheating and financial fraud cases to the DIUs to allow specialised investigators to focus on such offences.

Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma noted that the changing nature of crime makes specialised investigation increasingly critical. “Financial frauds, organised cheating, and technology-enabled crimes require dedicated investigators with domain expertise. Strengthening DIUs and insulating investigators from routine law-and-order duties will enhance probe quality and enable more professional handling of complex cases,” Verma said.

According to the standard operating procedure (SOP) governing DIUs, these units are tasked with investigating financial frauds, organised financial crimes, property frauds, copyright and trademark offences, cases against police personnel, and poorly investigated or transferred cases. They are also expected to function under continuous supervisory review, with specialist legal and financial support and a fixed annual caseload to maintain quality, the SOP states.

Another senior officer said the latest directions aim to ensure accountability at every stage of investigation. “The idea is that every case should have dedicated ownership, from FIR registration to chargesheet filing and prosecution. If investigators are repeatedly pulled out for law-and-order duties, the quality of investigation inevitably suffers,” the officer said.