Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110759480300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Transfer of cases deliberated to facilitate detailed probe Law & order

Passport Act cases require sustained investigation, hence need to be handed over to CB-CID, writes R. Rajaram

In a bid to ensure quality investigation, the law enforcing authorities have decided to hand over certain categories of cases registered under the Passport Act to the Crime Branch CID (CB-CID) for detailed probe.

An order issued by the State Police Headquarters has specified the categories of cases registered under the Passport Act which alone needed to be handed over to the CB-CID, which has jurisdiction over the entire State of Tamil Nadu.

As per the directive, cases of deportation, those in which persons from other States are leaving India via Chennai by using fake passport / fake visa, those involving forged visas and cases in which Indian Passports have been fraudulently obtained by foreigners would also be transferred to the CB-CID, which functions under the overall control of the Director General of Police.

With Tiruchi being a major airport after Chennai in Tamil Nadu from where overseas flights are being operated, such cases reported from here are also likely to be taken up by the CB- CID in the near future. The CB-CID has already taken over some cases, dealt by the Airport Police Station, Chennai Suburban Police, for investigation.

Though orders were initially issued for transferring all cases under the Passport Act, reported from January 1, 2008, to the Organised Crime Unit of the CB-CID, it was partially modified later. Accordingly, cases registered after January 10, 2009 under the above mentioned categories alone were identified for being handed over to the CB-CID for sustained and quality investigation.

The CB-CID investigates grave cases of crime having inter-district and inter-state ramifications; organised crimes including trafficking of women and children, counterfeit currency cases, cyber crimes, white collar offences and cases in which foreigners were involved.

Police sources said the CB-CID is the nodal agency of the State to liaise with the Interpol possessing the necessary expertise to handle cases of sensitive nature. Since the set of identified categories of cases registered under the Passport Act require sustained investigation the need for handing them over to the CB-CID arises as the investigating agency would be in a better position to interact with embassies in accelerating the probe and unravelling the cases.