Bombay HC raps Maha govt for not using modern methods to probe crimes

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday voiced displeasure over "old fashioned" techniques being used by Maharashtra and other states in probing serious offences like murder and terrorism.

The world has moved ahead employing modern methods for investigating such serious crimes, but the states are still lagging behind, it said.

A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and P R Bora said it was "very displeased" with improper probe in several cases by investigating agencies resulting in acquittals.

"Serious offences like terrorism, murder and so on should be probed using modern techniques and nuances of investigation and not in the same old fashioned manner.

"We are sorry to say that while the world has moved ahead with modern techniques in investigation, Maharashtra and other states are lagging behind," Justice Kanade said.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by Pune-resident Ashwini Rane who had sought a CBI probe into the murder of her husband Nikhil Rane. Nikhil, who was a builder in Pune, was shot dead on November 23, 2009.

When the police probe reached a dead end, Ashwini approached the HC, which transferred the case to the CBI in 2011.

The court had then kept the petition pending and extended its scope to include police lacunae in such cases.

The HC had also asked the Maharashtra government to look into the issue of police failure to probe such cases.

The bench on Monday said the Maharashtra government should look at how other countries are probing serious crimes and evolve the same mechanism and techniques.

"The state government needs to prepare a finger print bank so that in cases of murder and other such serious offences it will be useful to find out if there is any similarity between cases," the judges said.

The bench also noted that the state police academy in Nashik needs a complete "overhaul" and new techniques need to be included in the training.

The court asked state Advocate General Rohit Deo to personally look into the issue.

The HC then posted the petition for further hearing to March 10.