PANJIM: The ad hoc committee on home has instructed the government to set up police stations on a priority basis to cater to the rising population across the state. It also recommended that the crime branch be properly trained to handle criminal cases and to prepare better investigation reports during trial proceedings so that the conviction rate increases and the crime rate is checked.
The panel, chaired by opposition leader Manohar Parrikar and comprising St Andre Congress MLA Francis Silveira as a member, recently submitted its report to the speaker of the legislative assembly, Pratapsingh Rane. In its reply, the government said that in 2009, the conviction rate of all cognizable cases in Goa was 56.41% as against 51.20% in 2008. However, there was a slight decrease in the conviction rate by 11.34% in 2008 as compared to 2007.The government sought to explain the low conviction rate, citing reasons such as prosecution witnesses turning hostile, complainant's version being contradictory, absence of eye witnesses or independent witnesses, and contradiction between statements recorded by police during investigation and those recorded by the trial court during examination.
The government also said that in order to improve the conviction rate in future, the investigation of criminal cases conducted by the investigating officers should be closely supervised by the concerned supervisory officers from time to time till the charge sheet is filed. The opinion of the concerned assistant public prosecutor and public prosecutor and department of prosecution should also be sought by the investigating officer before filing the charge sheet in order to strengthen the case in court.
The reply said the director of prosecution and public prosecutors have delivered lectures to the investigating officers at the police headquarters to improve the conviction rate. Many police officers have also been sent to various institutes in India for upgrading investigation skills. Besides, refresher courses on investigation are held at police training school, Valpoi for head constables.
In Goa community policing together with village members could be the answer. But saying that the outsiders have outnumbered the Goan villagers. Forming vigilante groups could me another solution, But that will meet with police harassment.
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