BANGALORE: The state government will constitute a Prosecution Board to review important criminal cases dismissed by courts due to faulty filing of FIRs and chargesheets by police, said Home Minister K J George.
He told reporters on Monday that the conviction rate had been very low in most high-profile criminal cases due to loopholes in the FIRs or chargesheets submitted to courts by the police. The board will look into such cases to find any lapses by the police and file appeals in courts with fresh documents.
Strict action will be initiated against police officials if they are found to have wilfully tried to bail out the accused. “The composition of the board is still being discussed. So far, the government has not decided whether the board will be headed by a police officer or a legal expert,” he said.
He said the board would also help the Home Department find reasons for the dismissal of high-profile cases and establish failure, if any, on the part of police officers, government advocates or public prosecutors. Although the government had not set a time limit for establishing the board, it will come into being as early as possible.
A draft will be prepared in consultation with Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra and it will then be taken to the Cabinet for approval. Once it is approved, a Bill will be moved in both Houses of the State Legislature.
“Police officers will remain alert if there is strict monitoring by the government,” George said.
The minister said the government has posted officers of the rank of additional director general of police to all districts to monitor the functioning of the department. They have been visiting police stations and holding meetings to check the crime rate.
Admitting that the miscreant who attacked a woman inside an ATM kiosk in Bangalore last year was yet to be nabbed, George said the prize money to those who provide information about the culprit had been hiked to `5 lakh. Special police teams are looking into all leads to nab the culprit. “We will definitely arrest the attacker,” he said.
To a query, he said the inquiry report on the death of Police Sub Inspector Mallikarjun Bande in Gulbarga last year was expected to be submitted within a week. CID sleuths are waiting for the ballistic report, he said.
George said he would review the decision on extending the nightlife in Bangalore next week. After extending the deadline, there have been no law and order problems in the city, he said.
The minister said he has sought a list of police constables working in the same police station for more than five years and said they would be transferred to other stations soon.
‘Record Cops Seeking Bribes’
If any cop demands a bribe, record it in your mobile phone and show it to the senior police officer of the jurisdiction, George said.
He said steps had been taken to identify the black sheep in the department and punish them. “The government will not tolerate corruption in the Police Department,” he said.