Coimbatore: Retired Inspector General (IG) Pon Manickavel has urged the Tamil Nadu government to ensure direct involvement of senior police officers in investigations of major cases, citing the Sulur minor girl murder case as an example. He also stressed that women officers should handle probes related to sexual offences.
Speaking at a press meet in Coimbatore, he said delays in forensic results are affecting investigations. He called for at least one DNA laboratory in every district, noting that the current dependence on Chennai for DNA testing leads to late reports and slows down case progress.
Manickavel said shortcomings must be addressed to secure quicker convictions. He argued that officers above SP rank should “come to the field” and personally supervise or conduct key parts of investigations in sensitive cases, which he said would help complete probes faster. He also criticised the absence of a woman officer from the “Singappen” unit in directly investigating such cases.
On investigation expenses, he said the existing practice of repeatedly seeking approvals from higher officials should be changed, and funds should be transferred directly to station accounts with proper oversight. He further suggested that officers assigned to such cases should be relieved from other duties for a fixed period.
He also called for support to poor victim families, saying they should be allowed to appoint a private lawyer as per law instead of relying only on government prosecutors, with the government bearing the fee. In emotionally sensitive cases, he said the Chief Minister should monitor officials’ performance, and added that the CM’s public stand against corruption is welcome, though the government’s performance can be assessed only after giving it time.
