Officers refuse to take charge

KOCHI: The Crime Branch Economic Offence Wing, which is already in the grip of staff shortage,  has got another set back as some police personnel transferred to the department are refusing to take charge. In spite of orders from the Director General of Police (DGP) to allot two persons from the Armed Reserve Camp in Kochi to the crime branch, both the personnel are yet to take charge. It has been around two months since the order was passed.According to police officials, the order was much solace to the department as two additional civil police officers were given to the department. “The money chain cases are on a rise and we don’t have sufficient officers to investigate all the cases. The personnel allotted to the department are refusing to take charge. They have influenced higher officials and now the order is likely to be cancelled,” an official said.If the order gets cancelled then another order has to come, which means further delay, he said. He also added that the two persons have not given any reason for their refusal. The order came in November and still they have not communicated with the crime branch officials, he said.More than 400 money chain cases are being probed by the Economic Offenses Wing, Kochi. The department has hardly ten policemen to conduct the probe in each case. About three personnel are deputed for the administration work and two policemen have to be sent to the court daily. The refusal of the two personnel from taking charge is a serious setback for the crime branch, he said.A senior official in the Economic Offenses Wing said that the department is making all efforts to get additional personnel to the department. “We have shortage of staff which is affecting our functioning. We will take up the case with the DGP. Otherwise another request will be made to allot personnel soon,” the official said.