Stung by the Rizwanur Rahman-Priyanka Todi episode, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has shut Seva, an arm of the investigating agency set up to deal with conjugal problems and counsel couples.

“After the Rizwanur case, we have learnt that one has to pay a price for interfering in a couple’s personal affair. From now on, we will only take action prescribed by the law after a complaint is lodged with police,” said a CID official.

Seva was set up in 2002 to counsel couples and help them arrive at solutions so that they could continue to live together. It dealt with more than 400 cases every year. “But records show that the unit’s success rate was abysmal. Some policemen and NGO members exploited the wing to extract money. The closure of the unit will stop the malpractice,” said a CID official.

According to sources, the decision to close Seva was made a couple of months ago. “Additional director-general (CID) Bhupinder Singh ordered that the wing stop functioning,” said a CID official. “We promptly suspended all the unit’s activities,” he added.

Before going to court to file a divorce petition, some couples used to contact Seva. “Besides, our women’s grievance cell also received complaints. Seva used to summon couples and organise counselling sessions involving a few NGOs. Policemen used to be present at the sessions,” said D.P. Tarenia, the inspector-general of police (CID).

Elaborating on the reason behind closing Seva, another official said: “In case either the husband or the wife commits suicide after a few days of counselling, we will be held responsible. So why should we take the risk?”

Some officials feel the police are within their rights to summon a person, who is not involved in any criminal activity, as part of a preventive measure.

“The code of criminal procedure has given us the power to intervene before a crime takes place. But in the Rizwanur case, questions were raised about whether the police had the right to summon somebody. Now our officers don’t dare to wield the power,” said a CID official.