Times news networkPanaji: Even as a number of court orders exposed investigating officers adopting a casual approach to test identification parades (TIPs) in rape and murder cases resulting in acquittals, Goa police maintained that parades are not mandatory in all cases but directed the investigating officers to conduct those promptly, especially where the accused is an unknown person.“In certain cases, TIP is essential and accordingly it is held. Further corrective measures include directing investigating officers to conduct TIPs promptly, particularly when the accused is unknown to witnesses,” chief minister Pramod Sawant said.Advocates and retired senior police officers said that investigation by Goa police officers fail to meet the standards that justice demands.Speaking on acquittal cases, Sawant said such cases are duly reviewed by the Acquittal Review Standing Committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Inspector General of Police, and necessary action is taken against the erring investigation officers. Similarly, time-to-time training sessions are organized for investigation officers to enhance their skills and improve the conviction rate.Sawant said that during the last five years, no departmental enquiry has been initiated against any officer on account of adverse findings received from the courts for defective investigation.“However, during the review of acquittals by the Standing Committee, if any case resulted in acquittal due to lapses on the part of investigating officer, a show cause notice is issued and an explanation is obtained from the concerned officer,” Sawant said.The chief minister said that presently the department is maintaining Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APAR) yearly. Based on the quality of investigation, officers are evaluated and graded.Recently, the Bombay high court acquitted a 28-year-old man from a northeastern state in the alleged rape of a 63-year-old businesswoman and resort owner in Goa. The court held that conviction can’t be based on the voice of the accused identified by the survivor. Castigating the prosecution, the court noted that there is no conclusive DNA evidence linking the accused to the semen detected in vaginal smears.In another case, contrary to the established framework of holding a test identification parade to prove the evidence against the accused, Goa police asserted that there was no point in holding the parade if photos of the accused are shown to witnesses.In connection with the murder of Vasco resident Gayatri Marathe, police showed photos of the accused to witnesses, but the court observed that identification by showing photographs is not valid. The murder case could not stand at the time of framing of charges in court.
