IPS Rahul Jain’s case-tracking approach helps speed up convictions in Angul

In Angul, a positive shift is taking place in policing with cases no longer getting stuck at FIR stage but being followed through until justice is delivered. At the helm of this is SP Rahul Jain a 2015 batch officer of Odisha cadre, who focuses on sustained case ownership across investigation, charge-sheet filing, trial and sentencing.This approach has led to increased convictions including in nine serious cases involving child sexual assault, rape, murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Special focus was placed on brutal offences against young children. In one case, a four-year-old girl was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered. The accused was convicted and given the death sentence, subject to confirmation by the High Court of Orissa. The case reached sentencing 392 days after the FIR. Another case involved the repeated sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl. Medical, chemical and DNA evidence supported the prosecution, resulting in a life sentence and ₹7 lakh in victim compensation.

A separate case involving a six-year-old girl, her statement was recorded and medical and forensic tests were conducted, with the charge-sheet filed within 60 days, leading to conviction and seven years’ imprisonment to the culprit. The approach also resulted in convictions in a wage-dispute murder case, which led to life imprisonment and an auto-rickshaw rape-murder case where CCTV and call records helped secure life imprisonment.

Speed and evidentiary quality have been vital elements to this strategy. In six of the nine cases, charge-sheets were filed within 26 to 66 days of the FIR, while the fastest case in the group reached sentencing in 146 days. The approach combines timely investigation with evidence-building through forensic examination, DNA and biological samples, CCTV footage, call-detail records, mobile-location analysis and Magistrate-recorded statements wherever required.