Mumbai: In an attempt towards modernization, the Mumbai police will soon equip themselves with tab systems that will record crime scenes in the cases of rape, sexual assault, and child abuse cases on the spot. The police will also record the victim's statements on the spot itself with the tabs.
These latest measures will be implemented in the cases of crime against women and children specifically. Due to these latest additions, many problems faced by the police during the probe and the course of the trial will be solved and it will also help to improve the conviction rate, said a police officer.
According to the officials, these tab systems will be given to every police station and fitted in the police patrolling vehicles. Whenever a woman or child abuse-related complaint is received, the police could reach the spot with these tab systems.
After reaching the spot, the police will not only record the crime scene but will also record the victim's statements if they are in the position to give their statement.
Since the videos are recorded on the spot, soon after the incident took place, its gravity could be captured in the video. This will help the police during the trial while presenting their case before the court.
Sometimes, before the court, victims turned hostile or change their statements given before the cops. Such times there are high chances of the accused getting acquitted or the case being quashed. However, due to video recordings, it will be difficult for the victims to change their statements or will not be able to say that they had given statements under pressure, stated an officer.
The geotagging on the videos recorded by these devices will serve an additional purpose and such electronic shreds of evidence carry high evidence value, said an officer.
The procurement of these devices will be made from Nirbhaya Fund (around ₹250 crores) the Mumbai police received from the center and the state government post-2012 Delhi gang-rape case. Seven other metropolitan cities have also been granted from the fund.
Recently, the Mumbai police established a special Nirbhaya Squad for woman and child safety and ordered to step up patrolling in the secluded areas after a 32-year-old woman was brutally raped and murdered inside a stationary tempo in Sakinaka in the second week of September.
