Modern policing: Separate homicide investigation units soon

Standing order says investigation officers for the units should be of inspectors, SI ranks.

LAHORE: Punjab Police plan to establish specialised homicide investigation units by the end of February to investigate murder cases under Section 302, 316, 319, 320 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The units will be part of district investigation branches in all districts, according to a statutory standing order issued by IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukehra.

The IGP issued the standing order in exercise of powers conferred on him under Article 10(3) of the Police Order 2002. It calls for instituting the separation of criminal investigation from the performance of police functions as required under Article 18 of the Police Order, 2002.



The IGP said an amendment to Article 18 envisages complete separation of investigation function to the extent that the district investigation branch, police intend to establish, shall not form part of any police station’s strength and shall consist of several specialised wings.

The district investigation branch shall investigate all cases registered in the district except the offences that may be notified by the IGP to be investigated by investigation officers at a police station under the supervision of SHO.

The standing order reads that the present security situation and resource constraints do not allow the desired complete separation in one go. “Therefore… specialised homicide investigation unit, [that] be an integral part of respective district investigation branches in all districts, shall be established to investigate all murder cases.”

Guiding principles

Investigation officers shall be carefully selected and shall remain posted in the unit for a minimum of two years, the order read. It says investigation officers for the new wing should be of the rank of inspectors or sub-inspectors.

No investigate officer of the unit shall investigate more than 20 cases a year, it says.

The standing order divides the Punjab districts in three categories. These are the capital city district (Lahore), city districts (Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan) and the remaining districts.

The office of the SDPO shall act as headquarters of the specialised homicide investigation unit. The SDPOs shall supervise these units until the establishment of a separate hierarchy of district investigation branches.

“The SDPOs in their role as supervisors of specialised homicide investigation units shall be responsible to investigation SP of the district.”

In districts where there is no SP or where the role is being performed by a DSP or an ASP, they shall be responsible to the DPOs.

He said that in city districts the effective unit of police organisation above the police station level was the division, headed by an SP.

“In view of shortage of officers, these SP shall also be entrusted supervision of specialised homicide Investigation units of their respective divisions…”

He said that under every SP there should be an appropriate number of investigation officers. “The divisional superintendent shall be replaced by a divisional superintendent of investigation in due time. The divisional superintendent shall be assisted by a deputy or investigation assistant superintendent of police who will perform the supervisory role.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2015.