Police Investigation - Powers, Tactics and Techniques

Book excerpt: Anchoring himself firmly on the ever-contested space of Indian Law and Legal Processes, and drawing substantive support from his rich and varied experience as a Law Enforcement Officer in the Police Department of Tamil Nadu, India, the author, V. Sithannan in presenting this scholarly work, has sought to fulfill the legitimate requirements of Police Officers, Advocates, Judicial Officers, Social Activists, NGOs, Gender Activists and the general public. The Author's utopian ideal that no innocent person should be punished and no offender should go unpunished is the dominant message of the book. For this purpose, the Author has given a balanced treatment of the whole problem of crime and its investigation. The book contains 27 Chapters and 4 Annexures. For example, the 1st Chapter deals with the origin, growth and development of Military and Police and the succeeding chapters elaborate the structure, powers and the duties of police, the conduct of investigation, the first information report, the jurisdictional limitations of police, dying declaration, inquest, search and seizure, examination of witnesses, arrest, interrogation, confession, bail, remand and custody, test identification parade, tender of pardon to approver, letter rogatory, extradition, burden of proof and presumptions, Police diaries, final report, further investigation and maintenance of Police records. The comparative chart given to aid the Police Officers to conclude whether death is suicidal or homicidal or accidental in all forms of death that are encountered by the Police while conducting investigation will be of immense use with scientific accuracy. Another Chart provided indicating the procedural steps starting from the collection of evidence through the final analysis of the whole crime and its commission would surely empower the investigating officers with fool-proof methods of investigation. A most praise-worthy feature of the book is its detailed discussion on the immature juveniles, who are in conflict with law and the crimes against children and women. The annexure to the book is of immense use as a ready- reckoner, especially annexure I and II by which a Police Officer may easily find whether a particular offence in any of the most frequently used special enactment is cognizable, bailable etc. The Author has fulfilled the needs of the investigating Officers in the epilogue by providing 47 points which may go against the prosecution, and therefore, has given 48 tips for the successful prosecution of a criminal case by a Police Officer. Again, in the spirit of an academic researcher, the Author has given a catalogue of 724 Checklists in all the Chapters so that the readers would find the book highly informative to have a statutorily authorised answer to any doubt in a given situation in any of the investigative procedures. The citation of 785 landmark judgements of various High Courts and the Supreme Court for the period 1965-2008 in the appropriate chapters is another outstanding feature of the book, making it vade mecum for Police Officers, Advocates, Officers of Law and Courts and also for NGOs, Social Activists and Persons of Public Interest.