Maharashtra Govt Empowers Constables As Investigating Officers Under BNSS 2023 To Tackle Police Staff Shortage

Mumbai: In a significant move to address manpower shortages in the police force, the Maharashtra Home Department has issued a government notification allowing police constables to be appointed as investigating officers.

In a significant move to strengthen the police force’s investigatory capabilities amid staff shortages, the Maharashtra Government has issued a notification empowering Head Constables and certain qualified Police Constables to assist in criminal investigations under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

The notification, issued under Section 180(1) of the BNSS, states that Any Head Constable and above can act on requisition to assist the investigating officer. Police Constables may also be designated for this role, provided they meet the criteria like Hold a graduate degree, Have completed at least 7 years of service, Have undergone six weeks of special training at the Detective Training School, Nashik, and successfully passed the exam, and Have no departmental enquiry pending against them.

This supersedes all earlier orders and aims to expand the pool of personnel available for investigations. The decision is seen as a response to manpower constraints and is expected to increase the efficiency of ongoing criminal probes across the state. This decision is aimed at strengthening the investigative capabilities of the Maharashtra police department amidst limited staffing resources.