CUDDALORE:
As part of modernisation of the police force, “investigation kits,” containing over 100 articles for crime detection and marking off the crime spot, are being issued to all police stations.
Each kit contains forensic materials and chemicals for tracing footprints and fingerprints of criminals. There are at least five other bags in the kit, such as the examination bag, tools bag, surgical bag, fingerprint bag and air bag, all replete with various types of investigation materials. The examination bag has in its hold a magnetic compass, a knife set, a tester and a magnifying lens. The tool bag carries a hammer, a cutter, a hacksaw blade, a pair of scissors and a measuring tape.
The surgical bag has apparatus such as thermometer, forceps, aerosol spray, syringe and needle, a blood testing kit and hydrogen peroxide. The air bag consists of a digital auto-focus camera, rechargeable torch, ultra violet light with torch and filter papers. Superintendent of Police Ashwin Kotnis told The Hindu that the investigation kits would be distributed to all police stations in the district. (There are 46 police stations, six all-women police stations and four traffic police stations in Cuddalore district).
The kit would empower the police personnel in the field to conduct preliminary investigation of crimes. The kit would enable even the beat constable to handle the situation by carrying out basic examinations at the scene of the crime, such as cordoning off the area with tape, as was the practice in foreign countries, and take traces of the fingerprints and footprints. This would speed up the investigation, and ensure the evidence was recorded properly.
However, the personnel had to be duly trained in handling the articles in the kit. Hence, the Station Officers or Inspectors of Police were being trained in the system who, in turn, would impart the training among their subordinates. The kit would also enable the personnel to render help to the road accident victims, group clashes and so on. Mr. Kotnis handed over the first kit to Inspector Sekar of Neyveli police station at a function held in his office here recently.
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