Odisha Crime Branch brings reforms in investigation process

Bhubaneswar: To streamline police investigation, Odisha Crime Branch on Thursday issued an advisory and saying no to obsolete form of investigation to bring increase the conviction rates.

In view of amendment of statutory provisions and dictums in judicial pronouncements, photography and videography play significant role in investigation of criminal cases, the advisory read.

Hence statement of the witnesses or victim, dying declaration and others are required to be recorded by means of videography and audiovisual recordings.

The Supreme Court has already accepted electronically recorded statement as evidence and also call records by means of cell phones as admissible and reliable, said ADG CB Santosh Upadhaya.

"So, the advisory is just a step to implement those things here which can be crucial during trial of cases," the ADG added.

Photograhy should be done to record the crime scene and it is useful in reconstruction of crime scene. In case of CCTV footage of crime or video, the person who is the actual custodian of the said CCTV footage or the media person who recorded the crime shall be examined as witness and his statement shall be recorded under section 161 CrPC.

Meanwhile, the advisory has been forwarded to the IG of all Range, DIGs, police commissioner, DSPs, DCPs and Additional DGP Railways.