Pindi cops to get forensic training in Lahore
Rawalpindi(Crime REporter)_A young man was robbed of cash by two armed dacoits as soon as he reached in house located in near residence of RPO Rawalpindi Region after exchanging foreign currency from Mall Plaza Saddar. The incident took place within limits of Police Station (PS) Civil Lines wherein a case has also been registered against the fleeing dacoits, they said.
Two dacoits covering faces with helmet and piece of cloth on a motorcycle can be seen in CCTV footage, obtained by police, looting young man at gunpoint after chasing him as he came out of the car in porch of his house. According to sources, a citizen namely Mark Joshua Francis son of Asher Francis, resident of Street Number 1 of Sir Syed Road, lodged complaint with PS Civil Lines officials stating he went Mall Plaza for exchanging 1000 Euros into Pakistani currency Rs 308500 in his car.
He said two dacoits having guns into hands chased him on motorcycle and snatched cash at the gunpoint as he parked his car in porch of his house.
He said the dacoits easily fled the crime scene. The victim appealed police to register case and to arrest the fleeing dacoits. Police filed a case and began investigation. SHO PS Civil Lines Inspector Ahsan Tanvir Kiyani, following the orders of CPO Syed Khalid Mehmood Hamdani, visited the crime scene and obtained CCTV footage to trace out the culprits.
He also ensured the victim that the dacoits will be arrested soon. In yet another incident of street crime, a gang of three armed dacoits intercepted a citizen namely Zahid on gunpoint at Dhoke Bhattian, the area of PS Jatli, and snatched bike and cash Rs 10000 from him. After committing the crime, the dacoits managed to flee from the scene.
A case has also been registered against the fleeing dacoits by the police while further investigation was on, according to a police spokesman.
Meanwhile,
Around 2,000 investigative officers of the Rawalpindi police will undergo basic investigating training on collecting, handling and transporting forensic evidence in order to counter the increase in cases where tainted or compromised evidence benefitted the accused.
A senior officer of the force said the training would be held at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in Lahore, which is the only such facility in the country. The trainings were said to be scheduled for January.
The officer said that the training would include guidelines on preservation of the crime scene, collecting and sealing sample or evidence, and the transportation of forensic evidence obtained from the crime scene.
The officer said that it was done as investigation officers were unskilled in collective such evidence particularly in heinous crimes such as rape and murder as well as street crime, robbery or kidnapping for ransom.
“Due to the negligence of investigators, the accused are often able to get relief by challenging the evidence in the courts,” the officer said.
The officer said the training would be conducted in phases, with batches of 150 to 200 IOs to from Rawalpindi to Lahore every month. The training would include fingerprinting, medico-legal processes, murder investigation, computer forensics, documentation, DNA collection, firearm and tool mark, drug and testing for toxic materials.
It would also provide specific guidelines like the desired temperature for storing and transporting a particular sample.
