All crimes involving police personnel will be treated as Special Grave Crimes in which the investigation will be done by an officer of the rank of CI and an officer of the rank of DySP will be personally supervising the investigation, DGP Jacob Punnoose said in a press note issued here on Thursday.
Referring to a circular issued in September 9 last year, the DGP said that in case of officers of and above the rank of Circle Inspector being accused of a crime, then the investigation shall be personally supervised by an officer of such rank as may be decided by the State Police Chief.
A copy of every FIR registered will be forwarded to the Police Headquarters (PHQ). At the headquarters, a register will be maintained incorporating the details of the matter in a manner to be prescribed by the State Police Chief. The AIG shall be the custodian of the register, which will be regularly updated by the Disciplinary Branch. The FIR received at the PHQ will be forwarded to ADGP (Intelligence), who should conduct necessary queries on the circumstances of each case and report to the State Police Chief. If the investigation discloses that the police officer was guilty of a criminal offence, a special report shall be forwarded by the investigating officer through his supervisory officer to the disciplinary authority of the officer concerned for further disciplinary action. If the officer is not placed under suspension, the reason for the same will be reported to the ADGP (Int) by the disciplinary authority. If ADGP (Int) disagrees with the disciplinary authority in the matter, then he may bring the matter to the notice of the State Police Chief. Every year, on the 1st of July and January, a comprehensive list of those personnel involved in crimes will be prepared. The list shall be reviewed in the month of August and February every year by a committee consisting of ADGP Zones, ADGP (Crimes) and ADGP (Int) and chaired by the senior-most among them.
The committee will recommend cases of those people whose behaviour is so unsuitable as to warrant their removal from the force invoking the provisions of Sec. 86 of the Kerala Police Act, 2011. The committee will also review the adequacy and propriety of disciplinary action, disciplinary punishment, suspension, reinstatement, etc.
The circular says that the names of cops get into criminal cases under various circumstances. It is necessary to differentiate cases as committed in their personal capacity or in their official capacity as well as those committed knowingly or unknowingly exceeding the lawful authority vested in them. Sometimes, cops could be accused of crime falsely and deliberately owing to some personal enmity, it says. Based on a list comprising 370 cops with regard to criminal cases, 21 have been terminated from service and 226 others have been suspended along with subjecting them to departmental inquiries, the DGP said.