A statement issued by Narasimha Komar, Addl. DG of Police (Law and Order), Gujarat, has said that economic offences involving more than Rs 5 crore and cases of rape, including those falling under the POCSO Act, will now be treated as Special Report Crimes.
These cases will be probed under the direct supervision of senior police officers of the rank of Circle Police Inspector, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, and Superintendent of Police.
Following the announcement on Wednesday, the implementation work will begin from Thursday onwards.
Previously, offences such as murder, attempted murder, culpable homicide, dacoity, robbery, attempted robberies, house breakings involving more than Rs 50,000, serious riots, cases involving police officers, serious motor vehicle accidents, and greasing or tampering with rails were classified as Special Report Crimes.
The investigation of these cases was conducted under the guidance of senior police officers, adhering to the provisions outlined in the Gujarat Police Manual (Vol. III).
Circle Police Inspectors, Sub-Divisional Police Officers, and Superintendents of Police, along with Police Inspectors, Assistant Commissioners of Police, and Deputy Commissioners of Police in Commissionerate areas, visited crime scenes and supervised investigations.
With the rapid growth of banking, insurance, industrial production, commerce, and other economic activities, economic offences have witnessed an upsurge.
To ensure the facilitation of economic growth, the police have recognized the need to focus on prevention, detection, and investigation of economic offences.
Consequently, economic offences involving Rs 5 crore or more, including criminal misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and cases falling under the Gujarat Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 2003, are now categorised as Special Report Crimes.
Additionally, the safety of women and children has become a crucial aspect in the pursuit of building a secure and just society.
Both the Home Department of the government of Gujarat and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs place significant emphasis on the safety of women and children.
Therefore, cases of rape and sexual offences against children, encompassing various sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act are now being classified as Special Report Crimes.
In cases falling under these categories, jurisdictional police stations will submit a Special Report, and senior police officers will visit the crime scenes. Their role will involve ascertaining the facts of the case, identifying physical evidence, and providing guidance and assistance to the investigating officers in detection, scientific investigation, expeditious arrest, and coordination with forensic science teams.
To further enhance the detection and conviction of criminal cases, the CID (Crime & Railways), Gujarat, has been tasked with developing a specialised training module on the investigation of financial crimes, rape, and cases under the POCSO Act.
This module will cover relevant laws, special procedures, and the latest case laws.
The training of investigating officers and supervisory officers will be organizsed by the CID (Crime & Railways), in coordination with the Gujarat Police Academy in Karai.
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