'Centre okays 4227 police personnel for Delhi to probe crime'

The Centre today told the Delhi High Court that it has sanctioned 4227 posts in Delhi Police for the purpose of separating criminal investigation from maintaining law and order.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain told a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva that these posts would be operationalised in two phases, half in 2016-17 and rest in 2017-18 after a review of the scheme.
The bench, while taking on record the ASG's statement, made it clear that these additional personnel, once recruited, would be used for crime investigation only.
It did not agree with the contention of senior advocate Chetan Sharma and advocate Shailendra Babbar, who appeared for Delhi Police, that the personnel would be needed when there would be a law and order situation.

"A person who is an investigator will only investigate and will not be used for law and order and will not be standing on roadside during VIP movement. The investigating staff or group should not be part of law and order duty," it said.
The court, meanwhile, expressed displeasure over the Centre "footballing" with the issue of sanctioning remaining 11,000 (approximately) posts as the Finance Ministry had sent the proposal back to the Home Ministry for reviewing whether increase in manpower was necessary and would advancement in technology suffice.

"This we are not happy with. This is footballing. Not happy with this part," the bench said.

Delhi Police in its proposal sent to the government had sought creation of 15838 posts, of which around 4000 were to be used for crime investigation alone.
The government's decision came after the court had on December 2 and earlier also expressed annoyance at the Centre's delay in sanctioning additional police for the city.
On October 14, the court had told the Centre that while
it follows austerity measures regarding increasing the number of personnel in Delhi Police, it should ensure that life and liberty issues "do not take a backseat".
The court had also "impressed upon" the government to give due credence to its observation regarding increase of policemen saying safety and security of people in Delhi, especially women and children, was the "crying need of the hour".

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it after the December 16, 2012 gangrape incident in which it has been giving directions on the issues of appointing more police personnel, additional forensic labs and setting up of a victim compensation fund.