After Madhya Pradesh, police constables in Gujarat have now been empowered to conduct investigations in criminal offences, including arresting the accused and filing chargesheets. The move is intended to help reduce pending investigations into criminal cases so far investigated by SIs and ASIs only.

DGP S S Khandwawala took the decision recently by using the provisions contained in Section 23(F) of the Bombay Police Act 1951 applicable in the state. The provision allows DGP and police commissioners to decide the duties to be carried out by personnel of all ranks and grades in their jurisdiction.

As Rajkot police commissionerate had been using constables for investigations into bailable criminal offences since 2000, DGP procured a report on the performance of constables who have investigated hundreds of cases in the past nine years and chargesheeted the accused.

The report was eye opener for Khandwawala and other officials. They found that investigations in majority of the cases ended up in convictions. This convinced Khandwawala and his colleagues to extend it all over the state.

Khandwawala issued a notification (a copy of which is with The Indian Express) to this effect on June 18 this year. The notification particularly noted that majority of the constables recruited in the past few years were graduates and postgraduates with knowledge of computer operation making them worthwhile to use their services for investigations of criminal offences as well. According to the notification, constables with graduate qualification and five years of service could be considered for handling investigations of criminal offences by police station in-charges.

... contd.