From C K Nayak
New Delhi: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma on Monday stressed on the need for a state of the art crime investigation system through improvement in forensic science laboratories and separation of the whole process from policing.
Dr Sangma was speaking at the conference on administrative reforms convened by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. The meeting, supposed to be attended by Chief Ministers of all the states, was boycotted by majority as the Centre failed to garner much support from states on the implementation of the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) recommendations on police and judicial reforms and management of public order.
Many states are objecting the ARC recommendations terming that there will be interference on the part of the Centre on the matters related to maintaining law and order.
The 2nd ARC has made a host of recommendations which include some salient ones like “separation of crime investigation from other policing functions” and inaugurating the conference, the Home Minister said that a modern and separate crime investigation system will ease the pressure for the already stressed police personnel.
Meanwhile, addressing the meet, Dr Sangma said that Meghalaya is taking steps to develop appropriate mechanism and procedures to ensure synergetic coordination between the investigation and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
“We are in the process of strengthening FSL by constructing a state of the art building with the added facility of DNA analysis. Besides this, we are also planning to set up mobile laboratories in the Districts,” the Chief Minister said.
He also suggested that FSL should be an independent entity which should not function under any board or authority that supervises police investigation so as to bring neutrality and autonomy in its functioning.
Dr Sangma said that crime investigation is often prolonged due to delay in furnishing reports by various agencies such as the Transport, Medical and Health departments along with the FSL.
“In order to obviate such delays the Government has fixed mandatory timelines for furnishing reports by these departments in connection with the investigation of cases,” he said.
Speaking on the modernization of police forces, Dr Sangma said that with the help of the Centre, Meghalaya is trying to modernise training facilities, police stations, FSL, MPRO, SB and CID by means of acquiring modern equipment, vehicles including troop carriers and bullet resistant vehicles along with weaponry.
However, he pointed out that the fund from the Ministry of Home Affairs needs to be increased since the size of police force is also expanding.
Earlier, most of the non-Congress ruled states criticized the so-called Centre’s intervention in law and order issues even as others expressed free and frank views on the various recommendations of ARC on issues pertaining to police reforms, management of public order, reforms in criminal justice system, federal crimes and special laws and the role of civil society and media in the management of public order.
The second ARC was set up under the chairmanship of Veerappa Moily in August, 2005 to suggest measures for achieving a “proactive, responsive, accountable, sustainable and efficient administration for the country at all levels of the government.” The Commission submitted its report in June, 2007 to the government. Out of its total 165 recommendations, 153 fall in the domain of the states and hence it is important, Shinde said, adding that that the states are “on board before we go ahead and take a final decision in the matter”.