Patna, Dec. 17: Director-general of police (DGP) Abhayanand has issued directives to all the superintendents of police (SPs), asking them to record statements of witnesses in important cases before the camera and keep them safely.

“The motive behind the move is to keep the record of statements of witnesses in important cases so that they don’t turn hostile in the course of trial. If the statement is recorded before the camera, it will not be easy for any witness to retract from his/her earlier statement,” Abhayanand said.

The move of the state police headquarters is aimed at tightening the noose around the criminals, who are acquitted by courts for lack of evidence and more because of retraction of the statement of the prosecution witnesses. “There have been instances when accused persons were acquitted after the witnesses turned hostile during their deposition in the trial courts,” a senior police officer said.

The police headquarters decided to get the statements of witnesses of important cases recorded before the camera to keep surveillance on the investigating officers often charged with hobnobbing with the accused.

“If required, the supervising officers can review the cases in which the accused persons are acquitted for lack of evidence,” the police officer said, adding that in such circumstances, the investigating officers would be held accountable.

Sources in the state police headquarters said the decision to record the statement of witnesses before the camera has been taken in view of certain amendments in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

“Now, electronic evidence is admissible in the court,” said an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted as the superintendent of police in a north Bihar district. He, however, added that it was not possible to record the statement of witnesses in all criminal cases before the camera.

“For the purpose, you have to first provide required infrastructure to all the police stations across the state and then impart proper training to police personnel assigned to probe serious reported (SR) cases,” the officer said.

“The statement of all the witnesses in the case related to kidnapping of two Punjab-based businessmen and their subsequent safe release was recorded before the camera. This as an additional evidence that will help the prosecution in getting the accused convicted,” said Bettiah superintendent of police Nishant Kumar Tiwary.

Tiwary said he has set up a digital library in his office to keep the recorded statement of witnesses safely. The Bhojpur police have also started the same exercise. “Instructions have been issued to all the station house officers to get the statement of witnesses in important cases recorded before camera and keep them in the library. This is additional evidence, which may be used in the conviction of the perpetrators of crime,” Bhojpur SP M.R. Naik said.

Earlier, the DGP had issued an order asking the police to shoot with camera incidents of public protest in front of police stations. “Shoot with camera and not with bullets,” the DGP had told the officials after the latter complained of a sudden rise in incidents of mob violence.