The Gauhati High Court was recently informed by the state government that the Assam Police will soon have a separate ‘investigating wing’ and similar developments are taking place in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland.
A division bench of Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua and Justice Robin Phukan were informed that the States have made progress towards compliance with the court’s order dated January 31,2020, requiring the separation of investigation from the general duties of police personnel.
The Inspector General of Police (Administration), IPS officer Nitul Gogoi, informed the bench that a list of potential candidates for the investigation wing has already been created.
“Certain preliminary training had also been imparted at the level of the police training institutes and in the Judicial Academy of Assam. However, there is also a requirement that a Cabinet decision be taken for the purpose to implement the separation of the investigating wing and for the purpose a draft of the Cabinet memorandum had already been prepared which had been placed before the Government,” the IPS officer stated.
Senior government advocate D Nath also sought additional time to revise the record in this matter.
However, the bench made it clear that there would be no additional costs associated with implementing this order, which would separate the investigating teams from the police force’s ordinary tasks.
“Upon deliberation, we can also observe that separating the investigating wing may not incur any additional financial implication, other than for certain marginal financial implications and further creating of the wing would be within the existing police force,” the court observed.
The bench asked the Assam Government to provide a detailed implementation plan and timetable for the directions for separating the investigative wing on the next date of hearing.
