Police look to hire law officers, advisors

To ensure watertight cases, application of relevant sections and prevent acquittal of accused owing to lack of evidence, the Mumbai police have are looking to fill 59 posts of law officers and legal advisors in the force and have called for applications, Rahul Mahajani reports.

To ensure watertight cases, application of relevant sections and prevent acquittal of accused owing to lack of evidence, the Mumbai police have are looking to fill 59 posts of law officers and legal advisors in the force and have called for applications.

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The city police felt the need to create such posts in the light of acquittals in certain high-profile murder cases, such as the sensational Adnan Patrawala kidnap and murder, and the uproar over the application of the stringent sedition charge against cartoonist Aseem Trivedi last year.

A recent advertisement issued by joint commissioner of police (administration) Hemant Nagrale looks to hire one legal advisor and 58 law officers for a term of 11 months. Police officials feel that these law officers can look into the minute aspects of legal proceedings which will benefit the police in their paperwork.

Though public prosecutors are appointed in a majority of high-profile cases, the burden on investigating officers results in substandard paperwork.

According to the police, the role of these officers would be to help the police stations in filling FIR and to advice police in all of legal matters. They would also have to advise on matters related to departmental issues and police administration.

Most importantly, they will have to prepare appeals in cases for which the court has issued a verdict against the government.

When the appointment was cleared last time, in 2005, legal officers wanted to be made permanent employees.

The new appointments are subject to final decision on special leave to appeal (civil) being cleared by the Supreme Court.