Epilogue

6.1 The preceding paragraphs amply demonstrate that the investigations undertaken by the Delhi Police into the cases arising out of the 1984 riots were sadly lacking in efficiency, purposefulness and even in compliance of various provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act. While in some cases the integrity of the Investigating Officers appeared suspect, in others they appeared keen on merely going through the motion of investigation rather than pursuing the matter in a methodical manner with a view to identifying the perpetrators of the crime, collecting adequate evidence against them and bringing them to book in an effective manner.

6.2 Still worse, the Committee found no evidence of superior Police Officers having provided leadership and guidance to the investigating staff. It appeared that the Investigating Officers usually of the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspectors / Sub-Inspectors were free to handle the cases with them in whatever manner they liked. In several cases, the investigations had abruptly stopped for no good reason; in some cases, the accused persons even though named in the F.I.R. and their involvement confirmed by several witnesses had been left out without any convincing grounds; and in many cases various mandatory provisions of law pertaining to recovery of stolen property etc. were violated. Yet not a little finger appeared to have been raised by any supervisory officer.

6.3 Proper and honest investigation is one of the important pillars on which our system of criminal administration rests. The need for a devoted and dedicated machinery to investigate into the criminal cases in accordance with the provisions of law, rules and regulations, needs no emphasis. Since the Committee has observed some serious shortcomings on the part of the Investigating Officers of the Delhi Police, it ventures to make the following recommendations;