Cops plan to recruit ‘khabris’ once again
Cops who used to rely heavily on informers (mukhbir or khabri) for tip-offs to work out crimes, prior to the advent of electronic surveillance and other latest techniques, are once again turning to traditional methods of collecting inputs. SSP Lucknow said the secret funds of the district police chief, often utilised in other things, would now be used to nurture informers’ network in the state capital.
LUCKNOW: Prior to the advent of electronic surveillance and other latest techniques, cops relied heavily on informers (mukhbir or khabri) for tip-offs to work out crimes when they lacked witnesses. Hi-tech policing pushed the khabri somewhat to the background. But now, the city cops are again turning to traditional methods of collecting inputs from informers after failing to get any substantial clues in the recently reported sensational crimes.
“We are trying to revive the network of informers, as it had completely vanished after introduction of electronic surveillance and other latest technologies,” said Rajesh Pandey, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Lucknow. He said the informer’s network worked when others failed.
He said the secret funds of the district police chief, often utilised in other things, would now be used to nurture informers’ network in the state capital. Interestingly, the SSP’s secret fund has been unutilised for the past one year. The SSP said a team of handpicked cops who had been adept at using this network had been asked to cultivate new good and dependable informers. He said the team would be allowed to use the secret fund to pay informers and form their network. The team has been asked to focus on recent unsolved cases and collect information through informers.
“The network of informers works when everything, including electronic surveillance, fails. The informers are very important in working out blind cases of murder and robbery and in tracing movement of criminal gangs,” said Pandey, who has himself been member of the UP police core team that introduced electronic surveillance in the state. Pandey said that these days, criminals had gradually learnt the police techniques and often used electronic surveillance to mislead cops. “Basic trick of electronic surveillance is to not use mobile phone at the crime scene and it is now known to every criminal gang. There have been instances in the past when criminals placed their mobile phone at one location and returned after committing crime at another,” he said.
He explained that the informer’s role was vital usually in the initial stage of investigation, as cops could collect more information after getting a tip-off from them. He said later, the investigation officer could also gather forensic or circumstantial evidence helpful in conviction of the criminals.