Police investigations depend on eyewitnesses and resultant artists’ sketches. But reliablitity of eyewitnesses remains suspect.
The question of the day remained unanswered on Wednesday: Who planted the bombs that ripped through Mumbai’s suburban services on Tuesday. And how did they do it?
Police investigations still depend on eyewitnesses and the resultant artists’ sketches. But the reliablitity of eyewitnesses remains suspect. PS Pasricha, director general of police (DGP), said they were still making assessments of eyewitnesses.
Technology played almost no role in investigations on Wednesday. Manual surveillance is preferred. “We had a high level meeting regarding upgrading security at railway stations. We have instructed the railways to deploy higher surveillance on platforms and use the dog squad to check local trains,” said AP Sinha, additional chief secretary, home.
Pasricha confirmed that the project to instal Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at major signals, junctions and at prominent stations like Dadar, Churchgate, Chatrapati Shivaji Railway Terminus, Bandra, Kurla, Andheri and Vashi was mooted a few years ago, but no work has been done on it.
“This project comes under the commissioner’s jurisdiction. I am aware that the previous tender for the CCTV installation has been cancelled and they have to call for tenders again,” the DGP said.
Several police stations in the city, however, are fitted with CCTV cameras. The Crime Branch also has them. When serial blasts rocked the London Underground on July 7, 2005, the London police zeroed in on the culprits with the help of CCTV cameras installed at the stations.
Police agree that the time has come to integrate technology into their investigation and evidence-collecting procedures. Money and political will are required.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}