Patna, Jan. 11: Personnel of Specific Information Unit (SIU), popularly known as Rangdaari Cell, were behind the incident in which four men, all released on provisional bail, went missing while carrying out community work at the Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts on January 9.

The unit is a replica of Crime Branch, especially those functioning in Mumbai and Delhi. The SIU started functioning in the Bihar capital in 2005, when Kundan Krishnan was the Patna senior superintendent of police.

Krishnan is at present a deputy inspector-general-rank officer on central deputation.

The team has around 30 “competent” officers brought from different police stations of Patna. It conducts investigations and raids against organised crime.

“Each district has its own special unit. It is kind of a replica of crime branches of different police departments, especially in Mumbai and Delhi. The officers, right from inspectors to constables, are experts in different fields like cellphone-tracking, fieldwork with the help of sources, building contacts and other specifications. They are not bound to wear uniforms,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

He added that the entire unit is under the direct control of the Patna SSP.

“They conduct raids on the basis of specific information gathered from local police,” the officer said.

Last year, discussions were held to appoint a deputy superintendent of police-rank officer at the Patna SIU. The officer, once posted, would supervise cases, which earlier was not the case. Police sources said since the SIU in Patna has no gazetted officer, supervision of the cases is not up to the mark.

“At present, there are around 30 officers at the SIU out of which 10 are sub-inspector-rank officers. If a DSP is included in the unit, he/she will supervise the cases. If that happens, cases can be probed in a more organised way,” the police officer said.

Sources said the SIU, at present, is reeling under the hierarchy system, which was proving to be a difficult deal when it came to its functioning. “In places like Mumbai or Delhi, the special teams are mostly autonomous bodies. Their operations are not shared with many. In Patna, things are not as good as they should be. Here a case has to go through different tables, which risks the operation getting leaked. This should stop,” the officer said.

The police, on the other hand, said the SIU should upgrade its technology to track phone calls and other plans of criminals fast. Sources said these things were pending on the discussion table somewhere up in the hierarchy.