Crime Branch takes up cudgels for protection of witnesses

BHUBANESWAR: The state Crime Branch has drawn new guidelines for protection of prosecution witnesses and asked all district SPs to form dedicated squad of police officers, who can be attached with witnesses when they depose in courts. Crime Branch also pitched for construction of witness rest sheds in police stations and counselling centres for them across the state.
Director general of police R P Sharma said safety and security of witnesses is highly essential to ensure better conviction rate. “We are committed for the safety of witnesses. Conviction rate may hamper if witnesses turn hostile. Police protection shall be provided to witnesses if there is input regarding threat to their lives,” Sharma told TOI.

At the conference of senior police officers here in March, Sharma expressed concern over low conviction rate and categorically asked SPs to spread awareness about the provision of supplying security to witnesses. Data of national crime records bureau (NCRB) portrays a sorry picture of the state’s conviction rate. In 2016, Odisha’s conviction rate stood at 10.4 percent, which is second lowest after West Bengal’s 10.1 percent. After completion of court trial into 37,549 cases in 2016, only 3907 cases ended in conviction and 33,642 cases in acquittal.

Additional director general of police (Crime Branch) Santosh Upadhyay said SPs have been instructed to keep squads in readiness for providing security to witnesses. “We have asked the SPs to constitute dedicated teams of police officers to monitor daily court proceedings in criminal cases so as to provide protection to witnesses coming to depose evidence,” Upadhyay said.

According to the standard operating procedure (SOP), adequate police protection can be provided to the witnesses as well as victims in sensational cases, including crimes against women. “We have asked SPs to advise their investigating officers to sensitise witnesses to remain alert and inform local police stations in case they face security related problems,” Upadhyay said.

Experts said police hardly takes the pain of providing security to witnesses. “We so far have not come across sensational attack on any witness in Odisha. But cops, mostly in rural area hardly come to the rescue of witnesses, who are forced to turn hostile in courts,” said lawyer Siddharth Das. “We only see circulars and instructions from police. But the instructions are hardly executed on ground,” Das said.

Crime Branch said any complaint of the violence of the SOP will be addressed seriously. “We have clearly written in the circular that any deviation in this regard will be viewed adversely,” another CB officer said.

According to the SOP, police will provide assistance and logistic support to prosecution witnesses in attending court on date of trial. Awareness programmes will be held for protection of witnesses and encourage them to depose in court with fear or favour. Video conference of witness, as permissible under law, may be taken up to save time of the witnesses. Culprits should be booked under section 195 (A) of IPC whenever they are found threatening witnesses to give false statement in court, the SOP read.