A murder in Meghalaya and a lesson

Indian Express

19 hours ago

The 'honeymoon murder' in Meghalaya has shocked everyone. Many young people lead double lives, and under a façade of complying with conventional norms, it is difficult to know what goes on under the veil of anonymity in urban areas.
But as a police officer, I have another take. The case shows that citizens fail to appreciate the detective and investigative skills of the local police. In complex cases, there are loud demands to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This is despite the fact that the media has frequently revealed that the CBI has numerous constraints, including officers' vacancies and a huge load of pending cases. Having worked in the Bureau, I know its strengths and deficiencies. Its own cadre of officers is well trained, comprising keen investigators. And the agency is very careful in selecting those who come on deputation. The result is a host of competent investigators and world-class investigation.
However, no one can beat police station officers when it comes to obtaining information and accessing local resources. It is the paucity of time that drags them down. Running from one 'bandobast' to the other, responding to emergency calls, settling the petty disputes we citizens frequently get into and providing security to VIPs — an officer hardly gets time to interrogate suspects at length. He is equally pressed for time while documenting his investigation to satisfy the demanding courts. Having accepted these limitations, I would fully trust the state police, in this case in Meghalaya, to detect an offence like murder and to investigate it diligently. There is no doubt that police stations get the best information from local residents, with whom they are in contact daily. In the instant case, a tourist guide is said to have provided an important clue about three people having been in the company of the couple.
I have witnessed the technical skills of our young police station staff. Tracing the movements of accused persons or victims through mobiles has become a valuable technical capability that they commonly use for detection, as in the current case. They have become skilled in accessing information and sifting out what is relevant. Cybercrimes are regularly detected and investigated by the younger lot working in police stations. They support inspectors, as only officers of that level are authorised to investigate cybercrime. Considering the huge number of such cases, it is time the power to investigate cybercrime was delegated to sub-inspectors.
Between the CBI and police stations are state criminal investigation departments (CID). In the past, they were citizens' favourites, with many Hindi films depicting detectives playing important roles. We have lost sight of them of late. But they continue to work quietly in state headquarters and have enough time at their disposal for sustained investigation. CID officers have conducted some wonderful investigations and secured convictions. Old-timers would recollect the notorious mass killer of Mumbai, Raman Raghav, who through his serial rapes and more than 40 murders had cast a spell of fear over the city. He was arrested, investigated and successfully prosecuted by the Crime Branch, Mumbai.
Police officers are transferred and move between police stations and the CID. As they are from the state, officers working in the CID have close contact with station officers as well as citizens. They frequently coordinate with police agencies of other states and are deft in handling inter-state issues. While a lack of resources is common to all law enforcement agencies, interference by local and state-level politicians has to some extent dented the performance of both police stations and the CID. Yet they stand tall in their detective and investigating expertise.
The Meghalaya case has shown that state police are not only competent to detect a heinous case involving different states but that they are technologically sound, too. Three different states coordinated and cooperated efficiently. It sends a message to criminals not to underestimate law enforcement. And also for citizens to not routinely seek central agencies but to trust their local officers and those working in the special units like the state CID.
The need of the hour is to strengthen local police stations. Politicians have realised the value of the information network of police stations and their resourcefulness. Otherwise, why would each political party or leader fight to keep the Home Department?
The lesson from the Meghalaya murder is that the state police and local police stations cannot be ignored. That they are competent and efficient and would perform even better with more resources and technically equipped and trained staff. Between the CBI and local police stations lies an equally competent agency, the CID. This knowledgeable and experienced department needs to be activated in cases of inter-state crime.
Awareness about how police in India operate and interest in how they work would be beneficial to both citizens and the police themselves. A disinterested citizenry has led to politicians capturing law enforcement. However, Meghalaya has shown that well-intentioned political support can motivate state police not only to perform but to excel in detection and investigation.
The writer is a retired Maharashtra-cadre IPS officer who has worked in both the CBI and the CID