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Delhi

'Delhi Police to set up separate Directorate of Prosecution for cops'

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has now decided to set Directorate of Prosecution for its force, which is to assist investigating officers during their probe of crucial criminal cases in the National Capital.

Last month, a document from the Office of Commissioner of Police was sent to all DCPs. "Around 2.5 lakh cases are registered every year in Delhi. Important crime including heinous crime and serious cheating cases accounts for about 12,000 of these cases. It is expected that during investigation apart from others about 10 per cent i.e 1,200 of

these important cases require special attention in term of institutionalised legal advice on a case to case basis," the document read.

The Millennium Post, on January 21, 2020, was the first to report that the city police might be getting its exclusive Directorate of Prosecution services to advise officers on legal points of the case they are investigating.

The letter to the DCPs said: "On this account, as per directions of MHA/GOI, Delhi Police has decided to set up a separate Directorate of Prosecution for Delhi Police which will function under the direct supervision of Special Commissioner of Police, Legal Cell, under the directions of Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

CP, Delhi directly reports to the MHA through LG and the Delhi government has no direct control of the Delhi Police.

The Directorate will render assistance to the investigating officers during the investigation of important criminal cases in Delhi. The draft proposal presently under process with Establishment Branch PHQ."

According to the letter, "In addition to this, one more proposal regarding empanelment of 20 advocates for legal assistance to IOs was prepared and got approved by CP Delhi for which selection process is to be initiated. A draft advertisement for interested candidates has also been approved by CP Delhi. But the process is held in abeyance due to COVID-19 outbreak. As the process also requires interviews, the same could only be completed after the lockdown period."

The DCPs were told that due to the prevailing COVID-19 outbreak and conditions of law and order in the city, the IOs of Delhi Police are

facing great hardships in concluding the investigation of important cases.

"Apart from day to day policing in the prevailing extraordinary situation, Delhi Police is also investigating important cases which include North East Delhi riot cases, the violent outbreak in JNU, in Jamia University and cases related to Tablighi Jamaat. In all these important cases, IOs invariably require legal advice to efficiently proceed with the investigation," reads the document.

DCPs were suggested that the IOs of Delhi Police may be permitted to take legal advice from the 18 advocates with the prior approval of the concerned Head of the Range or Unit (Special CP or Joint CP) on a case-to-case basis.

Sources told the Millennium Post that a list of 18 advocates with their names and phone numbers have been sent to the DCPs, who were told that this would be an interim arrangement till a panel of 20 advocates is selected and finalised for legal assistance.

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