IOs warned against not recording criminals’ complete particulars

The Karachi police chief has directed his subordinates, especially investigating officers (IOs) of criminal cases, to input the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers of criminals in the Crime Record Management System (CRMS).

Officials said the order was issued after reviewing the CRMS, which showed that the records of many of the criminals arrested by the police, especially their CNIC numbers, were missing from the system.

They said that from time to time it had also been observed that many of the criminals used fake names at the time of their arrest to protect their real identities from going on permanent record in the CRMS.

They added that having concerns over the situation, Addl IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon directed the SSPs of the investigation branches of Karachi and IOs to make recording CNIC numbers mandatory as part of collecting the particulars of criminals.

The officials said that it had also been noticed during reviewing the CRMS that the particulars of 430 arrested criminals had been entered into the system without their CNIC numbers. The police chief warned that action would be taken against the IOs who do not record and maintain complete particulars of criminals in the CRMS. He reiterated that the CNIC numbers of criminals must be input in the system.

The officials said that recording the CNIC numbers of suspects accused in terrorism, murder, kidnapping, extortion, theft, robbery and other cases in the CRMS would facilitate the submission of their details. They added that the details would be found in any case where the accused was a plaintiff or a witness.

Earlier, a list was compiled of 80 best IOs in the Karachi police who were being specially appointed as IOs for the investigation of five categories of cases. The special investigating officers were being given the responsibility at district level for handling high-profile cases of murder, murder over resisting a robbery attempt, injury over resisting a robbery attempt, rape and narcotics.

The IOs dealing with murder cases would not be allowed to investigate more than 15 cases a year. A reward of Rs100,000 and a certificate of appreciation would be given to the IO whose case resulted in a jail sentence of at least five years.

Special prosecuting officers were also being deployed to assist the IOs. Every possible facility was being provided to the IOs to strengthen the investigation system, and rid them of mental and financial problems. Orders had been issued to provide the IOs government accommodation in police lines on a priority basis.

The lack of security, requirements and resources was the main reason for investigations not heading in the right direction, but IOs’ problems would now be immediately solved. Crimes would be curbed by detecting them, which was possible only with good investigation. IOs and prosecuting officers would also be trained along modern lines.

To ensure justice to people, the police investigation system had to be modernised. Ensuring coordination, cooperation and consultation between the prosecution and police was also essential to improve the investigation system.