The responsibility of investigating serious crimes should be entrusted to a government employee: High Court

Mumbai: When a crime occurs, the police go to the scene and the police take the help of some people to prepare the Panchnama so that the investigation can be conducted impartially. This person is known as Panch Sakshidar. A witness plays an extremely important role while establishing the guilt of the accused in the court. The court has advised the police that while selecting the panel witness, a government employee should also be taken. He is likely to go away again as other people have been made punch witnesses by the police. Therefore, the accused is acquitted, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court said in a case.

In March 2013, a case was registered against 22 people for robbing a vehicle carrying Khagi Bank cash coming from Akola to Nagpur. According to the allegation, on March 5, Tehnat Keshaven Jalna, posted in Lakadganj, Nagpur, was sent to collect cash. While returning towards Nagpur with the cash, the robbers took the robber to Keswan Narjan place near Karanja in another vehicle. Two and a half crore rupees were looted. Wardha district court sentenced 18 accused. The accused appealed against the sentence in the High Court. The High Court made this comment in the Panch Sakshi case.

While investigating any serious crime, the police has to immediately arrest the accused, hence the police are used as punch witnesses and the investigation is flawed. In such cases, the police will have to appoint a government servant as a commission. Others are more likely to turn hostile, weakening the prosecution’s case. In the said case, due to errors in Panch Sakshi’s investigation and re-investigation, the High Court had to acquit 18 accused.