Kochi: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that the Government has decided to bifurcate the police force into `law and order' and `investigation' wings.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a golden jubilee chamber for lawyers on the old High Court premises and inaugurating the golden jubilee social security scheme for High Court lawyers launched on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court, on Saturday.

The Minister said the bifurcation decision was in compliance with a Supreme Court directive to ensure speedy investigation, better expertise and to improve rapport with the people. Efficient and competent police personnel would be included in the investigation wing. The services of police personnel in Armed Reserve Camps would be utilised while constituting the two wings.

He said the Government planned to formulate a special scheme for improving infrastructure facilities in subordinate courts in the State.

The Government would introduce video-conferencing facilities in jails so that prisoners would not have to be taken all the way from the prison to the court for remand, he said.

On court directive

Welcoming the High Court directive to release under-trial prisoners who had completed the maximum period of punishment prescribed for the offences alleged against them, he said verdicts should contain the aspirations of society as a whole. (A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court had on Thursday directed that all under-trial prisoners who had been detained in jail for the maximum period of imprisonment provided for offences they were charged with be released forthwith without any bail bond.)

The judiciary, the executive and the legislature should work harmoniously to bring about changes in society. In fact, the three organs were accountable to the people and should function to ensure equality of justice for all.

Presiding over the function, Chief Justice of Kerala V. K. Bali requested the Minister to take steps to complete the chamber complex at the earliest.

Lawyers who completed 50 years of practice in the High Court were presented mementoes on the occasion. K.S. Radhakrishnan, judge, Advocate-General C. P. Sudhakara Prasad, and M. Manoj Kumar, secretary of the Kerala High Court Advocates Association, spoke.

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