‘Calendar of evidence’ to be scrutinized in 90 murder cases: CP

Nagpur: The ‘calendar of evidence’ or contents of the evidence in 90 murders that have occurred in the city would be assessed by several ranks of supervisory officers, as per the latest instructions of city police chief (CP) Amitesh Kumar.
The elaborate exercise has been undertaken to ensure the murder cases end up in conviction and the accused remain behind bars for the longest time. The top cop’s decision came on the heels of his observation during police station visits that the accused in some sensitive murder cases were out on bail within a short period.
In a separate development, city police have drawn up the city’s ‘murder hotspots’ to earmark places where incidence of murders has been higher and more frequent than other places. As per the CP, there is a different set of preventive techniques and strategies to curtail murders at these hotspots.
As per the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2019, Nagpur and Patna had the country’s worst murder rate.
Kumar has instructed police stations to prepare the calendar of evidence in each murder case. The documents would be scrutinized by supervisory officers at different levels, following which they will be sent to the top cop for his final assessment on the evidence collected and amendments needed.
The CP said an exhaustive practice of evidence assessments has been undertaken in which the proof collected in each case would be analyzed “The main aim is to ensure there is a conviction in each case for which the chargesheets have been flawless and watertight. This exercise of assessments is done to improve conviction rates in murder,” said Kumar.
The top cop said the other aim of the exercise is to ensure the accused’s bail pleas are well contested and cancelled. “Murder accused are expected to remain in judicial custody for as long as possible. The challenge is to keep them behind the bars by contesting their bails,” said Kumar.
The police chief added, “We are also supposed to keep a close watch on the bail conditions of the accused. As soon as there is a violation of the bail conditions, we must bring it to the court’s notice and get the order cancelled.”
To prevent murders, especially at the hotspots, Kumar said cops would organize aggressive community interactions at such places and step up the “visibility of the police” and juvenile management strategies, involving families. “We are aiming at strict implementation of liquor permit norms at murder hotspots so that those below the age of 25 do not get access to liquor,” he said.
Two-time city police chief PKB Chakraborthy said evidence collection should start from the spot and that framing an accurate FIR is crucial. “Evidence should be pursued in the FIR too,” he said, adding that care should be taken to ensure the collected evidence does not get tampered.
Former district government pleader Vijay Kohle said crime scene management and witness protection are the two most crucial aspects for convictions.
CP’s take on murder prevention
Aggressive community interactions with stakeholders
Visible policing
Strict enforcement of liquor permit norms
Ensuring those aged below 25 cannot access liquor
Sensitization of country liquor shop owners to alert cops regarding goons
Get bails of murder accused cancelled
Ex-CP PKB Chakraborthy’s 10-point agenda
Record correct FIR
Senior officers must visit crime spot
Pursue evidence in FIR
Interrogate accused properly
Identify weapons correctly
Maintain forensic reports and evidence well
Seniors must vet chargesheet
Investigation officers should be instructed in writing
Key role of supervisory officers
No evidence should be missed