Is a homicide squad the answer?

The city police has achieved a breakthrough in the murder of 63-year-old LIC agent M. Visalakshi and arrested the culprits. However, the list of unsolved murder-for-gain cases remains quite long and is yet to be addressed.

With such murders occurring frequently in recent months, a few officers feel it is high time that the Homicide Investigation Squad is revived to crack cases faster. The squad, which was part of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the city police, was formed in December 2011 by then Commissioner J.K. Tripathy to investigate sensational cases, primarily murders for gain.

The maiden breakthrough for the squad was in the robbery and murder of a watchman in Peerkankaranai in June 2012. The squad members also reopened investigation into the murder of Jacob and Moni Jacob, the elderly couple who were killed in their bungalow in Velachery in 2007.

The Homicide Investigation Squad was disbanded and gave way to the Anti-gangster Squad, which has been active in curbing the activities of anti-social elements in the city.

“Given the number of murder cases reported in the city it is better to have a dedicated squad under the supervision of the Commissioner himself. They can work on big cases like murders for gain or political killings that the local police haven’t been able to crack,” said a senior police officer.

He also believes that the squad can produce better results in a shorter span of time. “It can also lift the burden from the local police. They can concentrate more on policing,” the officer added.

However, there is a section of senior officers which feels that special teams, formed immediately after a murder, have also proven effective.

“Such teams have cracked a good number of cases including that of Hindu Munnani functionary Suresh Kumar in Ambattur Estate. There was a detailed probe which resulted in the arrests,” a senior officer at the city police commissionerate added.