Modern policing: Homicide investigation personnel set to finish training this week

200 investigators being trained by foreign instructors at Chuhng Police School

LAHORE: Foreign instructors have been training 200 investigators selected by the Special Branch for specialised homicide investigation units to be established province-wide, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The investigators are being trained at the Chuhng Police School. The programme is expected to conclude during the week. IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera has directed the police to ensure that the units start functioning soon. The units are being established to investigate murders under Sections 302, 316, 319, 320 and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Inspector Ahsan Gull, who is being trained on this account, told The Express Tribune he was confident that no cases of murder would be shelved following the constitution of the units. “A murderer always leaves behind a trail of evidence. Clear-cut clues point towards the identity of the suspect,” Gull said



Inspector Ghulam Nabi said state-of-the-art training was being imparted by foreign instructors. He said investigators were being trained on how to effectively gather evidence from scenes of crime and what checklist to employ in this regard. “The initiative is part of a series of measures taken to facilitate the provision of modern policing. It will improve the Investigation Wing’s capacity to solve murder cases,” Nabi said.

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 the 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 the SHO.

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

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2015.