Need more police to investigate crimes such as murder, rape and dacoity: Bombay high court

The bench was disturbed to note that within the jurisdiction of the Superintendent of Police, Solapur rural, investigation in 58 criminal cases had been delayed beyond one year

The Bombay high court said more police personnel are needed for investigating crimes, noticing that the investigation in a large number of serious crimes like murder, rape and dacoity has been slow.

“It is high time the state government takes some firm decision on providing sufficient number of officers devoted to the purposes of investigation only,” said the division bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice PD Naik. “A separate wing of officers for the purposes of investigation is the need of hour,” the bench added.

The bench was disturbed to note that within the jurisdiction of the Superintendent of Police, Solapur rural, investigation in 58 criminal cases had been delayed beyond one year. What irked the judges more was the fact that most of the cases where investigation was pending involved serious offences like murder, attempt to murder, rape and dacoity.

The issue of delay in investigating serious offences was raked up in a petition filed by Bhiva Hazare complaining that though Sangola police station in Solapur district has on February 28, 2012 registered a First Information Report on the basis of his complaint that his son was killed by the persons he had named, the investigation had not been completed.

Acting on the petition, the bench had sought the investigation officer to produce the investigation file. On the next hearing, noticing that though practically investigation was completed long back, a charge sheet had not been filed, and therefore the court had ordered the SP, Solapur rural, to submit a report of the investigation in the case.

The judges said though the offence was registered on February 28, 2012, the charge sheet was filed only on September 23, 2016 - after Hazare approached high court, through advocate Datta Mane.

The court has now posted the petition for further hearing on October 14, 2016 with a direction to the SP, Solapur rural and the secretary, home department to remain present for the hearing.