Personal Website of R.Kannan
Integrity in Public Life & Service
Crime and Punishment - Indian Police
Setup and Working

Efficient investigation of crime is the hallmark of professionalism in police. The government of India has established three Central Detective Training Schools under BPR&D at Calcutta, Hyderabad and Chandigarh to impart training in Scientific Investigation of crime to cutting edge level investigators (Police Sub-Inspectors and Inspectors).

Their courses teach the latest scientific methods and create in the trainees an awareness of the increasing facilities now available in India for forensic examination and analysis. To facilitate laboratory exposure, all the three CDTS are located adjacent to Central Forensic Science Laboratories. The teaching programmes are practise oriented and include a substantial amount of photography, laboratory work, simulated crime scene investigation and visits to related institutions. The CDTSs also have Crime Museums and Scene of Crime studios for reconstructing different scenes of crime.

There are three CFSLs -one each at Calcutta, Chandigarh and Hyderabad headed by a Director, who is basically a scientist.

The Forensic Science Division of the Bureau of Police Research and Development is headed by Chief Forensic Scientist/Director (Forensic Science). This Division looks after the functions of the three Central Forensic Science Laboratories located at Calcutta, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, three Govt. Examiners of Questioned Documents located at Calcutta, Hyderabad, Shimla and. Neutron Activation Analysis Unit under CFSL Hyderabad, at BARC, Mumbai. All the Directors of the Central Forensic Science Laboratories and heads of Govt. Examiners of Questioned Document function under the direct supervision of the Director (FS)/Chief Forensic Scientist.

Documents are inextricably involved in the entire process of crime investigation, wherein they constitute more than 70% of irrefutable physical evidences in one form or the other. White-collar crimes and other economic offences, being the key area of present concern, demand that these should be investigated effectively, using latest scientific techniques.

Our Laboratory at Simla is the second oldest laboratory of forensic documents in the world, established in 1904, the first being the Metropolitan Police Laboratory, UK. Two more laboratories at Calcutta and Hyderabad came up in 1964 and 1969 respectively. Now, as on today, we have three laboratories of GEQD under BPR&D and nine independent laboratories in States. In addition, the forensic science laboratories in the States invariably have a Document Examination Division to handle the cases emanating in the states. In all about 250 document examiners are presently working in the Central/State laboratories in India.

The basic function of these institutions is to discover, reveal and demonstrate physical facts contained within the forensic documents after their examination and comparison with standard documents and to appear before various courts to testify the findings in pursuance of opinion furnished. Some of the problems pertaining to forensic documents being handled in GEQDs for scientific examination are as under:-

• Examination of writings of unknown authors and their comparison with those of known authors with a view to fix their identity.

• Detection of forgery including traced and simulated forgeries.

• Examination of typescripts, rubber-stamp impressions, seal impressions of unknown origin and their comparison with known ones.

• Detection of interpolations, substitutions, additions, overwriting and use of mechanical and chemical erasers.

• Decipherment of obliterated or obscured writings, secret writings and writings done with the invisible ink and retrieval of writings from charred documents

• Determination of order of sequence of writings. Examination of torn or serrated edges of paper and comparison with their counterparts with a view to determine if the two sheets were parts of one and the same sheet of paper.

• Determination of the age of the paper as shown by the examination of ink, paper, writing implements etc.

The nature and quantum of work now devolving on these institutions is very heavy. A large majority of crime-exhibits received are of complicated nature requiring multiple and intricate comparisons. More than 1.5 lakhs crime-exhibits are examined and reported upon every year by GEQDs besides tendering evidences in hundreds of cases in various courts of law.

Civil Defence aims at saving life, minimizing damage to property and maintaining continuity of industrial production in the event of any hostile attack. Civil Defence is primarily organized on voluntary basis except for a small nucleus of paid staff and establishment, which is augmented during emergencies.

National Civil Defence College, Nagpur, a subordinate training establishment of the Ministry of Home Affairs, conducts various courses in Civil Defence and Disaster Relief Management.

Home Guards is a voluntary force, first raised in India in December 1946, to assist the police in controlling civil disturbances and communal riots. Subsequently, the concept of the voluntary citizens' force was adopted by several States. In the wake of the Chinese aggression in 1962, the Centre advised the States and Union Territories to merge their existing voluntary organizations into one uniform voluntary force known as Home Guards.

The role of Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary to the police community in any emergency such as an air-raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic, etc., help in maintenance of essential services, promote communal harmony and assist the administration in protecting the weaker sections, participate in socio-economic and welfare activities and perform Civil Defence duties.

Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Acts and Rules of the states/ UTs. They are recruited from various cross-sections of the people such as doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, professionals, government servants, employees of public and private-sector organizations, senior students, agricultural and industrial workers, etc. All citizens of India, who are in the age group of 18-50, are eligible to become members of Home Guards.

Fire is a State subject and fire services are administered by the States/UTs. The Ministry of Home Affairs renders technical advice to States/UTs and Central ministries on fire protection, fire prevention and fire legislation. Fire Service College, Nagpur, conducts different types of courses for the training of fire officers in India. Fire Service Week is observed through out India from 14 April every year as Martyrs Day, to pay homage to the brave firemen who lost their lives in the performance of duties.

'Prisons' is a State subject under the Constitution of India. Prison administration is governed by the State governments under the provisions of the Indian Prisons Act and the respective Jail Manuals. The Central Government has been providing financial assistance to supplement the efforts of the State governments for modernization of prison administration. Under the ongoing scheme for modernization, Central assistance is provided for strengthening of security and communication arrangements, repair and renovation of prison buildings, medical facilities, vocational training, facilities for women offenders, etc. Assistance is also provided to a few selected states for construction of high security enclosures for accommodating hard-core terrorists