Special division for investigation; lock on Police collusion in POCSO cases

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police who collude without conducting a serious investigation or collecting evidence in POCSO cases that can lead to even the death penalty will be caught. This is after a special division like the Crime Branch was formed exclusively for the investigation of POCSO cases.

The statistics show that the accused are punished in only 18.32% of the cases. Most of the cases end without evidence. MR Ajith Kumar, who was the ADGP (Law and Order) in the Human Rights Commission, had admitted the lapses of the police in the POCSO investigation. The police and lawyers collude to eliminate the cases. Even in cases with evidence and scientific reports, the accused are usually saved by charging weak sections. The victim and the accused are even called to the station for mediation talks. The statements are taken by male policemen instead of the female SI. The case will be weakened by making a document that the child refused to undergo a medical examination.

Under the supervision of DySPs, cases investigated by the special wing will now be examined by DIGs and district police chiefs. The rule that a case should be registered within 24 hours of receiving the information will be strictly followed. The special team will come to the victims' homes and record their statements, and that too once. Out of the 1255 cases that were tried between 2013-18, the accused were convicted in only 230. In Kozhikode, when the trial was completed in 282 cases, the accused were convicted in 23. Under the POCSO Act, the minimum sentence is imprisonment from 3 years to life, and the death penalty if the victim dies. There were 888 cases in the first two months of this year.

Evidence gathering just for the sake of it

• Delaying the investigation, failure to collect evidence against the accused
• Failure of superiors in supervising the investigation of the case
• At the trial, the survivor and witnesses change their statements in favor of the accused.
• The case is settled by taking money and benefits from the accused.

(Police informed the Human Rights Commission)

Compensation should be recovered

• If the victim turns hostile, compensation should be recovered
• In cases where relatives are accused, the victim should be kept safe
• If the accused tries to influence them, the matter should be reported to the court
• The victim should be visited regularly by the victim's victim liaison officer

(Recommendations given by the police to the High Court)