State Public Prosecutor (SPP) Hasan Mohamed Jinnah has assured the Madras High Court that the exclusive crime investigation wings, established at select police stations in Tamil Nadu on a trial basis, will now be extended to many other police stations too, since the result has been highly encouraging with final reports having been filed within the statutory time limit even in serious offences such as murder and dacoity.
Justices M.S. Ramesh and N. Anand Venkatesh recorded his submission and hoped that the Director-General of Police would soon identify some more police stations where the specialised investigation wings could be established apart from the 11 Taluk police stations and the Coimbatore Commissionerate where they were established on a pilot basis, following directions issued by the High Court in October last year.
The judges appreciated the Chief Secretary and the DGP for having conducted an orientation programme for prosecutors across the State in order to prevent the accused from being let out on statutory bail due to the prosecution’s failure to file charge-sheets within 60 days in offences which attract a maximum punishment of 10 years and within 90 days in offences which attract a maximum punishment of more than 10 years.
