Delhi Police Chief Satish Golchha Orders Separation of Probe and Law-and-Order Duties
Delhi Commissioner of Police Satish Golchha has ordered all district units across Delhi to strictly separate criminal investigation duties from law-and-order work. The directive, aimed at expediting criminal probes, was issued during a review meeting on Saturday.
Under the new directive, Delhi Police will launch a pilot model in one police station per district. District heads have been instructed to select these stations based on objective parameters, including crime volume, FIR registrations, complaints, PCR calls, and law-and-order requirements.
The initiative is designed to allow investigation officers to focus exclusively on solving criminal cases, while separate teams handle routine law-and-order responsibilities. The results of the pilot program will be shared with the police commissioner to assess its effectiveness.
This move revives a 2018 reform initiated by the Delhi Police following Supreme Court directions in the Prakash Singh case. The original reform, which mandated separating investigations from routine policing to ensure professional and time-bound probes, was discontinued within months of its launch.
Under the fresh orders, districts must assess the ideal staffing strength for investigation teams, beat staff, law-and-order personnel, and administrative hands. Crucially, investigation staff cannot be diverted for law-and-order arrangements at the subdivision, district, or city level without explicit oral or written approval from senior officers.
A senior police officer noted that the objective is to ensure investigators remain focused on their cases instead of being routinely diverted for VIP duties or other deployments. Officials believe that better investigation quality will directly improve conviction rates and public confidence.
Commissioner Golchha also emphasised the need to strengthen District Investigation Units (DIUs), which are specialised multidisciplinary units meant to handle complex and sensitive probes. These units have often been viewed within the force as postings for officers awaiting transfer or retirement.
As part of the restructuring, districts have been asked to transfer cheating and financial fraud cases to the DIUs. According to the standard operating procedure, DIUs are tasked with investigating financial frauds, organised financial crimes, property frauds, copyright and trademark offences, and cases against police personnel.
Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma stated that the changing nature of crime makes specialised investigation increasingly critical. Verma noted that financial frauds, organised cheating, and technology-enabled crimes require dedicated investigators with domain expertise, and that insulating investigators from routine duties will enhance probe quality.
