Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin advised police officials not to ignore intelligence alerts issued by the state Intelligence and ‘Q’ branch, and said that the same must be immediately followed up by field investigations. The Chief Minister’s remarks on Thursday, January 19, were made after controversy erupted after the Coimbatore car blast that took place on October 23, 2022, where opposition parties alleged that crucial intelligence inputs regarding the suspect were ignored by the police.
Addressing a high-level meeting of police officers from across the state to evaluate the law and order situation, the Chief Minister stressed that the Commissioner should follow up on intelligence alerts. “Intelligence alerts issued by the state intelligence and ‘Q’ branch should be immediately followed by field investigation. The Police Commissioners should work in coordination with the state police headquarters,” he said.
The law and order review meeting was held in the backdrop of a series of graves crimes — including murders, revenge killings, POCSO cases, and sexual assault — in parts of Tamil Nadu. Sources said the focus of the meeting was to ensure an effective police force to control crime and drug menace. Speaking to TNM, an officer who attended the meeting said that the Chief Minister advised police officers to ensure justice is delivered to victims of crime. “The Chief Minister wanted us to ensure those who commit a crime do not go unpunished,” the officer added.
Another officer told TNM that the Chief Minister urged police officers to come up with schemes to reform first-time offenders. “The discussion was related to general law and order issues on reducing accidents, securing convictions in POCSO cases, not to make hasty arrests in mutual romantic relationships under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He also expressed concern about the low conviction rate in cases related to atrocities against persons belonging to the SC/ST communities,” the officer said.
CM Stalin also stressed on speedy investigation of cases and bringing culprits to the book. “Cases should be investigated in a speedy manner. The investigating officer of a case should ensure the filing of the chargesheet. This should be given highest priority, this will help in bringing the culprits to the book. If there is a delay, it will be wrong and become a hurdle in delivering justice,” the CM added.
The meeting also focussed on keeping a watch on fundamentalist elements who could potentially disturb communal harmony in the state. The Chief Minister emphasised that this was the responsibility of the police department. “The people of Tamil Nadu are law-abiding citizens and practice social harmony. The responsibility to protect this is in your hands. The Commissioners and Superintendents of Police should work in tandem with the district administration to ensure there is no rift in the society,” CM Stalin said.