‘Over 3,000 officials to get training on Pocso Act, prison facilities’

DEHRADUN: Inspector general of police (training) Anant Shankar Takwale informed the Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday that around 3,300 personnel, including circle officers (COs), investigating officers (IOs), and medical and prosecution officers, will be trained on issues related to the Pocso Act, prison facilities in the state, and concerns of inmates.The division bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra was hearing the appeal of a polio-stricken rape convict who had been sentenced to 20 years in jail under the Pocso Act by a court in Udham Singh Nagar district.Takwale said 40 officers, including COs, additional SPs, psychologists, and psychiatrists, would undergo training at the Uttarakhand Judicial and Legal Academy (Ujala), and a letter had been sent to the academy’s director in this regard.

He added that the training schedule would be provided at the next hearing.The court asked the Ujala director to submit suggestions and requested the presence of both the director and the IG via video conferencing at the next hearing on Aug 22.During an earlier hearing, while considering the convict’s health condition, the court observed that the forensic department, investigating officers, and doctors play a crucial role in delivering justice to both the accused and the victim in rape cases. “Any discrepancies in this process can hinder justice, which is a matter of concern requiring attention”, it observed.