Investigation Mechanism in India

What is the issue?

The hurried investigation by the Gurugram police in a recent murder case brings out the flaws with the overall investigation mechanism in the country.

What is the case?

• A seven-year-old student of Ryan International School, Gurugram, Haryana was found dead in the school campus.
• The Gurugram Police arrested a school bus conductor in connection with the murder.
• However, after the investigation was transferred to the CBI, it came to light that a Class 11 student had committed the murder.
• He had allegedly killed his junior to postpone a parent-teacher meeting and exams.
• The CBI for its part did not find any evidence against the accused bus conductor.

What are the flaws in the investigative mechanism?

• Procedure - The turn of events with the incident reveals the sheer insensitivity with which investigating agencies deal with such situations.
• The speed with which the accused was identified, but wrongly, brings out the lack of professional competence and insensitivity.
• A major drawback with the current system is that the investigation authorities first arrest and then investigate.
• Needless to say, innocent victims are caught hold of when the police wanted to shield someone.
• Innocent victims are also sometimes forced to confess, only to show the investigative prowess when the real accused cannot be identified.
• The consequences for the bus conductor and his family if the investigation had not been transferred to the CBI cannot be ignored in this case.
• Skills - Our investigation agencies fall short in several ways, and the prime drawback is that they possess scant knowledge of the law.
• Agencies also lack professional skills and are not adept at using technology.
• This makes it easy to arrest, extract a confession, then proceed to create evidence and go to trial.
• Social - Factors of caste and creed also find presence in the investigation process.
• There are cases where investigators are hand-picked for particular cases to achieve a particular result favouring a particular group.
• Political - The political class is using investigating agencies as tools for partisan political objectives.
• The benefits of extension of service and grant of permanent status are offered to those who oblige with the political class.

What should be done?

• For the culture of democracy to flourish, it is essential that justice is ensured in all its manifestations.
• The poor and the defenceless should not become victims of power and position.
• Unbiased investigations are essential to delivering justice to the victims of crime and shielding the innocents.

Source: Indian Express