Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Police Headquarters (PHQ) has issued directives on standard operating procedures (SOP) to all its field units to obtain information from government offices, banks and public sector undertakings during the course of investigations, officials said on Tuesday.
To facilitate the smooth procurement of information from government offices, banks and public sector undertakings during the course of investigations, the PHQ has issued a set of guiding principles to all police stations.
Special DG, CID, Pankaj Srivastava, stated that during a review of pending cases within the CID, it was observed that many cases remain pending investigation primarily because obtaining documents or information from the concerned offices is taking an excessive amount of time.
Consequently, the PHQ has issued specific guidelines to expedite the investigation process.
All departments of the Central Government, as well as all nationalised and private banks, Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), central corporations and boards, maintain a dedicated Vigilance Wing, Branch or Cell.
Whenever documents or information are required - or when an employee needs to be interrogated or his or her statement recorded - during the investigation of a crime involving these entities, the necessary details can be obtained by establishing contact and corresponding directly with their respective Vigilance Wing, Branch or Cell.
MP did not have such system
However, such a system does not currently exist within the departments, corporations or boards of the State Government.
Therefore, in such instances, the required information and copies of documents can be obtained by establishing contact and corresponding with senior office heads, such as the Head of the Department or the Branch Head.
The authority to obtain certified copies of bank accounts has been vested in the Superintendent of Police (SP) or any police officer of a rank senior to the SP under Section 18 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Use PAN
Furthermore, by submitting a PAN number, information regarding an individual's bank accounts held across various banks can be obtained from the Financial Intelligence Unit India.
Contact vigilance wings of banks, PSUs and Central government departments.
Approach State government department heads directly for records.
SP-rank officers can obtain certified bank records.
Use PAN to trace bank accounts through FIU-India.
