Delhi's new police commissioner Neeraj Kumar to set up separate cell for old cases

NEW DELHI: A mechanism to provide complainants information about progress in their cases and a separate cell to investigate cases older than an year are among a slew of measures taken by new Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar to improve policing in the capital.

Describing policemen as "social doctors" whom people approach to alleviate their problems, Kumar also announced programmes targeting youth providing them with training for competitive exams and vocational training and a regular mass contact programme.

"Public sees policeman as a social doctor. Whenever they have a problem, whether it is terror or a neighbour troubling them, they see police as a solution. We have to rise to the expectations of the common man," Kumar told newly-inducted police officers here.

Talking about the new initiatives of the force, Kumar said complainants have the right to know about the progress of their cases.

"Now we have instructed the investigating officers to keep in touch with the complainants and inform them about the progress in investigations. Common people have a right to know about these things," he said.

He also said an Old Cases Cell is being set up in all the 11 police districts under the Crime Branch to investigate cases which are more than one year old.

"We tend to forget about cases which are more than one year old. There is no monitoring. There is very little done in old cases. Now this new cell will look into these old cases," he said.

It is not right to call these initiatives a "gimmick", he said, adding the programme 'Yuva' will help in reaching out to people while an enhanced interaction with people will help in improving the image of the force.