Thiruvananthapuram: The Crime Branch of the Kerala Police is bracing up to tackle new challenges. It is all set to get its own legal advisors, akin to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The move to appoint the legal advisor comes after a new division to deal with economic offences was set up under the Crime Branch. The new wing will be operational within a month.
The Kerala home department would soon issue an order, appointing four legal advisors to the Crime Branch. All four ranges of the Crime Branch will soon have legal advisors.
Currently, the Crime Branch seeks legal advice from prosecutors.
The State government had initially recommended to appoint legal advisors on deputation from the law department of the Secretariat. But after the police objected to this, it was decided to appoint experienced lawyers.
Only officers, with expertise in probing economic offences, would be appointed to the new wing. A special test was conducted within the police force and a short-list prepared for the appointment.
An Inspector General (IG) will be in charge of the economic offences wing, which will be under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Crime Branch. The home department is reportedly considering Crime Branch IG Harshita Attaluri, who had been on deputation with the economic offences wing of the CBI, for the post.
In the first phase, four Superintendents of Police (SPs) will be appointed to the four ranges, 11 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySP), and 19 Circle Inspectors (CIs). Moreover, 200 Sub-Inspectors (SIs) and Civil Police Officers (CPOs) will be made to the economic offences wing.
All cases relating to economic offences that are currently being probed by the Crime Branch will be transferred to this wing.
