The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Crime scene holds key to proper investigation Law and Order

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 29, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Crime scene holds key to proper investigation Law and Order

Marri Ramu

Disturbance of the scene of offence by curious onlookers is making things difficult for the police, writes Marri Ramu

Except in isolated places, the crime scene is found in a ‘disturbed status’ in most of the cases. If this is the first barrier faced by investigators to trace the accused, further disturbance of the scene of offence by curious onlookers and mediapersons is making things difficult for the police to disentangle the mystery behind crimes.

Losing crucial evidence leading to the culprits apart, the investigators are also failing to secure conviction for the culprits due to this. In homicide cases where the bodies are found on hillocks or isolated places, the crime scene remains intact, though wind and rain might disturb it sometimes.

Spoilers

But in cases of burglaries and murders, worried inmates of houses and curious neighbours are knowingly or unknowingly messing up vital evidence. Blaming the family members of the victims or inmates of the burgled places is of little help because they are neither aware of the precautions to be taken nor taught about them.

However, the police feel that the muddling of the crime scene by their own men in some cases and mediapersons can and should be prevented. In Hyderabad, generally the Blue Colt constables or the men in Rakshak vehicles are the first to reach the spot. But they are not trained in basic forensics how to protect the crime scene.

As a result, civilians are being allowed to move at the crime scene freely and the arms used in commission of offence are lifted without taking any care.

Not protecting the prints of a foot or finger and pushing the body out of curiosity is deepening the puzzle especially in cases like the recent sensational ‘death’ of real estate businessman Prashant Reddy.

Media onslaught

With the expansion of the media, at least 15 to 10 crews of television news channels and newspapers are descending on the scene of the offence the moment news about the offence spreads. In their curiosity to ‘cover the crime from all angles’, the cameramen, photographers and reporters tend to walk across the spot and try to remove objects obstructing them to capture pictures and visuals at the scene.

In cases of deaths involving the use of firearms, the hands of the victims and the suspect should be wrapped with plastic covers to ensure that the crucial evidence of gunshot residue traces is not lost. In the sensational suicide case of film actress Pratyusha, the burning of victim’s clothes by the hospital staff had raised several suspicions.

Extra care

However, still in many cases the police are not taking enough care to collect the clothes of the victim and the accused soon after a crime is reported. Forensic experts opine even these points are crucial in the investigation and need to be focused upon by the policemen.

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