Police investigation wing yet to take off a year after order

The present head of police force, DGP JK Tripathy, has asked compliance report from all district SPs and commissioners in this regard.

The circular issued in last March by the then DGP TK Rajendran had stressed the need for separating law and order and investigation wings. The order not only indicated restructuring the job profile of police personnel at the station level, it also hinted of balancing the powers of these two wings. Also, the police personnel attached to investigation should not be diverted for bundobust duties except with prior approval of the zonal Inspector General or Commissioner, the order from the then DGP had said.

It was hailed as a step towards police reforms, and the State police administration had suggested change in staffing pattern as well. But, a year since then, the guidelines still seem to remain on papers.

Admitting that the move has not been implemented, some of the senior officers said it may not be possible within the existing system.

“Some unit heads tried to restructure the wing in principle. But there were issues. Just changing the names or designation is not enough. For decades, law and order inspectors had been controlling the system. The heft associated with the law and order posting has always been a lure to police officials. So it is not easy to take that away and hand it over to the investigation wing,” noted an IPS officer.

“Nothing has changed. The wing itself is not created, then how do you expect to change the system,” asked another officer. When contacted, DGP JK Tripathy said that he had asked for compliance report from all district SPs and Commissioners on the circular issued byhis predecessor.