New Delhi: A “thorough scrutiny” and “review of the investigation” in the northeast Delhi riots cases to ensure prosecution is one of the key tasks for Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Asthana said separate units in each police station for “quality investigation”, curbing street crime to improve law and order and keeping gangs in check with effective use of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) will be his focus areas in the next one year of his tenure.
The district courts in the past have pulled up the Delhi Police for its “lackadaisical attitude” in investigating the cases, failure in “supervisory duties” and evading responsibility. The police have also been questioned over the evidence collected in the cases.
“A review exercise is important. The riots were a conspiracy and it is important to bring the culprits to book. As the head of this force, I am duty-bound to review the cases and strengthen the investigations,” Asthana said.
“We are taking a fresh look at some cases and the loopholes will be plugged. It is always better to see things from a fresh angle to make value additions,” he added.
For this, Asthana has created a special team of deputy commissioners, assistant commissioner and inspector-level officers, which will be supervised by a Special Commissioner of Police-rank officer.
Out of the 690 cases with the northeast Delhi district police, 311 are being examined for further investigation and a supplementary charge sheet will be filed in those cases, Asthana said. Moreover, the 382 cases that are still under investigation will be “closely monitored” to ensure watertight charge sheets. In addition to this, in the cases where the accused are absconding, separate teams will be made to make swift arrests.
“We have made a special team under a special CP for this scrutiny. Officers who were posted there during the riots and were later transferred are also part of the team for a fixed period of three months,” he said.
“While the existing cases, in which charge sheets have already been filed, will be reviewed, in cases still under investigation, will be monitored. The officers of the team will also properly brief the special prosecutors, who will present our case before the court and assist the witnesses, once the trial begins” he added.
Also read: In riots case, trial court says Delhi Police probe not good enough, slams ‘half-baked’ efforts
Investigation-driven policing
Asthana, who has served at senior positions in investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Narcotics Control Bureau, besides heading the Border Security Force, said that besides improvement of law and order, his focus will be on improving the quality of investigation in the force.
To ensure this, Asthana said, there will be a dedicated investigation team at each police station.
Under a station house officer, who is the in-charge of the police station, there will be two inspectors. While one will be in charge of investigations, the other will handle law and order duties which include deployment during VVIP movements, protests, or any other situation that may arise.
“A good investigation and a watertight charge sheet is what finally stands in the court of law. A case will reach its logical conclusion only if it is well investigated and that is what we will try to strengthen. There will be more focus on the investigations and each police station will have a dedicated investigation team,” he said.
“Earlier there were no dedicated teams for investigations and personnel would keep shuttling between law and order duties, which affected the quality of investigation in cases. Now when a person goes to a police station, to make a complaint, or follow up on some case, a member from the investigation team will always be there to hear them out,” he added.
“It will also ensure continuity. If an inspector is working on some case, he or she will have time to work on it and give results, instead of getting caught in an arrangement duty,” he said.
Asthana said these teams will be fixed and any changes will have to be approved by the DCP in-charge of the area.
Also read: Delhi Police forms Special Investigating Cell to monitor probe into Northeast Delhi riots
More cases to be registered under MCOCA
Referring to the last week’s shootout at Rohini court when two assailants shot and killed gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi inside the courtroom, Asthana said the police will now use MCOCA more effectively against organised crime syndicates in Delhi.
“We will not let them re-surface in Delhi. In fact, there will be a massive crackdown and we will be working to bust these syndicates,” he said, adding that the police will “effectively use MCOCA against these history sheeters to ensure they are brought to book.”
When asked if more cases under MCOCA will be registered against gang members, Asthana said, “Yes, very much.”
The Delhi Police chief also said that a list of gangs and wanted gangsters has been updated in their records and a dedicated team is looking at all the past cases. The areas where these gangs are in action are also being put on surveillance.
Also read: Anyone can enter Rohini court, you need black coat & white shirt: Lawyers after gangster killing
Prevention and detection of crime is key
Asthana further said that “prevention and detection of crime” is the key to “maintenance of law and order”, which too remains the priority of Delhi Police.
“We are identifying criminals and offenders to take preventive action. When there is detection of crime and swift arrests made, it acts as a deterrent. Moreover, good investigations, strong charge sheets lead to prosecutions. When these factors are in place, it keeps crime in check and law and order automatically is in place.”
“For this, we are working to curb street crimes. I analysed the data and found that 70 per cent of cases were of thefts or property crime, snatching, breaking in and the rest 30 per cent were of murder, robbery and crime against women. If we concentrate on the crime that affects the common man and curb that, people will start trusting the police more,” he said.
The Delhi Police has also merged the Police Control Room with District Police staff. This means that each PCR will now have a staff of the police station of that jurisdiction so that when a person calls the PCR to report a crime, the investigation into it starts from that point itself.
(Edited by Neha Mahajan)
Also read: When was Delhi Police founded? What is ‘dus numbri’? Retired IPS officer’s book has the answers