Crime Investigation

What makes a serial killer tick? How do forensic experts solve crimes using cutting-edge technology? Who are the men and women that risk their lives to put criminals behind bars?

These questions and more are related to the subject of Crime Investigation. Real crime, real people, real drama - Crime Investigation is the hard work by the true professionals who work meticulously and methodically to solve the mystery behind the crime – motive, the modus-operendai and men involved in crime! Crime Investigation opens the door to crime labs, police archives and courtrooms, providing a behind-the-scenes look at criminal investigations and probing unexplained mysteries.

Physical Evidence at a Crime Scene

Evidence used to resolve an issue can be split into 2 areas - testimonial evidence and physical evidence. The testimonial evidence would be any witnessed accounts of an incident. The physical evidence would refer to any material items that would be present on the crime scene. These items would be presented in an issue or incident to prove or disprove the facts of the issue. What will evidence collected at a scene do for the investigation -

* May prove that a crime has been committed.
* Establish any key elements of a crime.
* Link a suspect with a scene or a victim.
* Establish the identity of a victim or suspect.
* Corroborate verbal witness testimony.
* Exonerate the innocent.

The evidence that is located and recovered at a scene will give the detectives responsible for the investigation leads to work with in the case.

Types of Evidence

o Impressions include fingerprints, tool marks, footwear, fabric impressions, tire

marks and bite marks.
o Forensic Biology includes blood, semen, body fluids, hair, nail scrapings, blood stain ptterns,
o Trace Evidence includes gun shot residues, arson accelerant, paint, glass and fibers.
o Firearms - includes weapons, gun powder patterns, casings, projectiles, fragments,

pellets, wadding and cartridges.

Personnel Duties and Responsibilities

There are certain personnel duties and responsibilities which are necessary in almost any major crime investigation operation. Those enumerated herein concentrate on the ones which are typically crucial to ensure that such efforts are conducted in an organized and methodical fashion. It is important to note it may not be feasible to have one person assigned to each duty. It is relatively common for one person to accomplish two or more duties.

For all positions, interest and attitude of personnel are paramount concerns. Training and experience will only be used to best potential when team members possess a positive attitude. This human side of evidence response teams is significant due to the long hours and attention to detail often required of personnel.

The major assignments, as well as corresponding general duties and responsibilities, are set forth as follows:

* Team Leader
* Photographer and Photographic Log Recorder
* Sketch Preparer
* Evidence Recorder/Evidence Recovery Personnel
* Specialists

Team Leader

1. Assume control - ensure safety of personnel and security at scene. Ensure personnel use appropriate protective equipment and follow standard recommendations to protect them from any health hazard which might be presented by blood or any other human body fluid.
2. Conduct initial walk-through for purposes of making a preliminary survey, evaluating potential evidence, and preparing a narrative description.
3. Determine search patterns, and make appropriate assignments for team members.
4. Designate command post location and ensure exchange of information between search and investigative personnel.
5. Coordinate with other law enforcement agencies and make sure a cooperative spirit is maintained.
6. Ensure that sufficient supplies and equipment are available for personnel.
7. Control access to the scene and designate an individual to log everyone into the scene.
8. Continuously reevaluate efficiency of search during entire course of operation.
9. Release the scene after a final survey and inventory of the evidence has been done.

Photographer and Photographic Log Recorder

1. Photograph entire area before it is entered.
2. Photograph victims, crowd, and vehicles.
3. Photograph entire scene with overall, medium and close-up coverage, using measurement scale when appropriate.
4. Photograph major evidence items before they are moved; coordinate this effort with Sketch Preparer, Evidence Recorder, and Evidence Recovery Personnel.
5. Photograph all latent fingerprints and other impression evidence before lifting and casting are accomplished.
6. Prepare photographic log and photographic sketch.

Sketch Preparer

· Diagram immediate area of scene and orient diagram with sketch.
· Set forth major items of evidence on sketch.
· Designate and label areas to be searched and advise team leader and all other search members of nomenclature for designated areas.
· Obtain appropriate assistance for taking measurements and double check measurements.
· Ensure necessary administrative information, such as scale disclaimer (not drawn to scale), is recorded on sketch.

Evidence Recorder / Custodian

o Have significant evidence photographed before collection.
o Describe evidence and its location on appropriate bag or envelope.
o Sign and date evidence container/maintain chain of custody.
o Appropriately collect and package evidence to maximize evidence integrity.
o Maintain evidence log.

o Use appropriate protective equipment (gloves) and methods when dealing with potentially infective evidence (blood).
o Documents in question

Processing the Crime Scene

In an Organized approach to Crime Scene Investigations there are three (3) basic and simple stages in properly processing the crime scene. Those stages consist of –

· Scene Recognition,
· Scene Documentation and
· Evidence Collection.

An organized approach is a sequence of established and excepted duties and protocols.

An organized approach assures:

oo A thorough and legal search is conducted.
oo Expeditious processing without compromise.
oo Proper scene documentation.
oo Proper methods and techniques for evidence recovery.
oo Proper use and knowledge of resources and equipment.
oo All pertinent evidence recovery.
oo Proper handling and packaging of evidence.
oo Proper distribution points for evidence analysis.
oo Proper safety precautions are followed.

Challenges in security training after the PSAR Act

Scene before passing of PSAR:

"The private security business employs more people than the police forces of all States combined and pays to the exchequer Rs. 10,000 crore by way of service tax, provident fund and contribution to the Employees' State Insurance Corporation.” The Hindu: 04.12.2006

It is not that there were no training needs for security professionals before PSAR. There were security agencies, there were contract security personnel and then there were proprietary security in many PSUs. They all needed training. Then there were DGR sponsored security agencies providing ex-servicemen.

As security personnel need to unlearn more then the learning to come out of fixed mindset working only in confined and constrained environment and straight-jacketed hierarchical structure, their training needs were found to be very peculiar in which they had to mostly unlearn what was leaned in armed forces so that they freshly approach the subject of industrial security which is different to national security!

As proven by the IT sector, every sector creates it niche and also creates it own trained professionals! The NIIT certification course is not the one given by any university, nor was initially approved by the Government. Same is the case with ‘Aptech”. Their quality of contents and training got the approval of the industry players and soon these certificate courses became eligibility criterion for employment in IT sector. Similarly the ‘Industrial Security Sector’ also created it demand of true security professionals and there supply of trained manpower became scarce. Few training institute got their act together and raised their training standards. All this was before passing of PSAR. There was still no benchmarking, there was no minimum syllabus nor were there any minimum training hours fixed. Mostly this was due to no regulatory authority and sector’s own internal co-ordination and self regulation failed to materialize.

Why PSAR and what it says about Training:

Statement of Objects and Reasons for PSAR Act - Due to increase in the number of business establishments and increasing demands for security, there has been a proliferation of private security agencies in the recent years. The growing tendency to hire security guards from private sources by an industrial or business undertaking has led to coming up of large number of private security agencies all over the country.

1. Though these private security agencies have helped in meeting the security needs of business establishments, there has been a growing concern about the manner of functioning of these agencies, many of which seem to conduct their operations without due care for verifying the antecedents of the personnel employed as private security guards and supervision.

2. There is also a danger of the employees of the private security agencies encroaching upon the duties of the police, using weapons in an illegal manner and wearing uniforms which resemble those of the police. In many instances, personnel employed by these agencies have also been involved in criminal activities.

3. For all these reasons, Union Government has been considering to regulate the functioning of these private security agencies, so that they are run within legal parameters and are accountable to a regulatory mechanism. In view of above, it is proposed to regulate the private security agencies through an Act which provides for a Controlling Authority to be appointed by the State Governments for the purpose of granting licenses and also to make holding of licenses mandatory for the carrying on of business of security agencies and other related matters.

Following are the sections of the PSAR Act which deal with the aspects of training -

9. Conditions for commencement of operation and engagement of supervisors-

(2) Every private security agency shall ensure imparting of such training and skills to its private security guards and supervisors as may be prescribed: Provided that the person carrying on the business of private security agency, before the commencement of this Act, shall ensure the required training to its security guards and supervisors within a period of one year from the date of such commencement.

10. Eligibility to be a private security guard-

(1) (d) Has completed the prescribed security training successfully;
(e) Fulfils such physical standards as may be prescribed; and
(f) Satisfies such other conditions as may be prescribed.

11. Conditions of license-

(1) The State Government may frame rules to prescribe the conditions on which license shall be granted under this Act and such conditions shall include requirements as to the training which the licensee is to undergo, details of the person or persons forming the agency, obligation as to the information to be provided from time to time to the Controlling Authority regarding any change in their address, change of management and also about any criminal charge made against them in the course of their performance of duties of the private security agency or as the case may be, a private security guard employed or engaged by them.

(2) The State Government may make provision in the rules to verify about imparting of required training by the private security agency under sub-section (2) of Section 9 and to review continuation or otherwise of license of such private security agency which may not have adhered to the condition of ensuring the required training.

13. Cancellation and suspension of license-

(1) The Controlling Authority may cancel any license on any one or more of the following grounds, namely:-

(c) That the license holder has violated the provisions of this Act or the rules made there under or any of the conditions of the license;

15. Register to be maintained by a private security agency-

(1) Every private security agency shall maintain a register containing—
(d) Such other particulars as may be prescribed.

24. Framing of model rules for adoption by States-

The Central Government may frame model rules in respect of all or any of the matters with respect to which the State Government may make rules under this Act, and where any such model rules have been framed the State Government shall, while making any rules in respect of that matter under Section 25, so far as is practicable, conform to such model rules.

25. Power of State Government to make rules-

(1) The State Government may, by notification, make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-

(g) Particulars to be maintained in a register under sub-section (1) of Section 15;

What are the challenges?

Training institutes of repute: accreditation by central / state governments
Training infrastructure: benchmarking
Training syllabus: elaborate training hour / subject basis
Training faculties: ranking system
Reading & reference material: Indian publication
Finances involved in separate training activities by Individual security agencies

Training institutes of repute: accreditation by central / state governments

"It is estimated that in the next five years, requirement of private security will increase to one crore security personnel which works out to be nine times the present strength of our Army. The private security industry today is operating in the most haphazard manner totally unregulated and suitable to meet the challenges. The manner in which most of the private security agencies function has become a matter of great concern. Many of these agencies conduct their operations without due care for verifying the antecedents of the personnel employed as private security guards and supervisors," pointed out Major General Satbir Singh,

"The private security personnel are required to be highly skilled, capable of understanding and using the modem security equipments." says Singh.
Gurgaon Plus – Digital 8.3.2006

There are many training institute which have mushroomed all over the country post PSAR. Some of them have capitalized the opportunity purely on commercial considerations since training has been given major emphasis in the Act. They will need more seasoning time to earn good repute.

Training infrastructure: benchmarking

All the training institutes need to have required training infrastructure including the training aids. It has to be kept in mind that the trainees can not be taught in ‘class room style’. All of them would be mature age, sufficient exposure to the industrial world and will also have some experience in industrial security. Understandably they may not be the brightest of the students as other-wise they would have had better career options but still they can be treated as fresh college students. For this purpose the training infrastructure must be appropriate most preferably multi-media based. Flip charts, overhead projectors etc. are no more suitable. Class rooms also must be suitable for circulation of the instructors and effortless interaction with the participants. They must also have wi-fy networking and suitable for LCD projection with good audio system.

Training syllabus: training hours / subjects-wise

The training syllabus drafted so far by certain states appears to be without practical approach and application of industrial experience. More then the security professionals these appear to be drafted by the police officers with foggy idea about security duties being synonymous to policing duties. This may not be the case and at least security professionals know it! In fact in one of the article recently published in ‘Security Today’, one of the retired IG has questioned the justification of keeping the subject of “Crowd Psychology and Techniques of crowd control” in the training syllabus of the security guards. Since it will take some time for ‘dust to settle down’, different training institutes will continue to have their own training syllabus. The Directorate General of Resettlement, Ministry of Defense, one government organization which could have taken some initiative at-least for the security agencies run by ex-armed force personnel has woefully disappointed in this aspect. It could have but done nothing so far regarding finalizing the security training syllabus for ex-servicemen security guards under their sponsored security agencies.
The DGR made half-hearted attempts to specify the training aspects in their ‘Guidelines’. Half hearted in the sense that though there was mention of specific training need in different sectors such as oil sector, mining sector etc, there was no syllabus or training hours specified! Further, there were few courses being run by DGR only to train the officers with the emphasis on how to run a security agency rather then becoming security professionals. These courses were conducted by sundry Training Institutes (?) with grandiose proclamation of being “International” when they had no separate one room office even and classes were being held in evening hours in some schools!

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India's Antiterror Blunders: Years of appeasing militants has made the problem worse...

By : Sadanad Dhume

As the story of the carnage in Mumbai unfolds, it is tempting to dismiss it as merely another sorry episode in India's flailing effort to combat terrorism. Over the past four years, Islamist groups have struck in New Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, among other places. The death toll from terrorism -- not counting at least 119 killed in Mumbai on Wednesday and Thursday -- stands at over 4,000, which gives India the dubious distinction of suffering more casualties since 2004 than any country except Iraq.

The attacks highlight India's particular vulnerability to terrorist violence. But they are also a warning to any country that values what Mumbai symbolizes for Indians: pluralism, enterprise and an open society. Put simply, India's failure to protect its premier city offers a textbook example for fellow democracies on how not to deal with militant Islam. The litany of errors is long. Unlike their counterparts in the West, or in East Asia, India's perpetually squabbling leaders have failed to put national security above partisan politics. The country's antiterrorism effort is reactive and episodic rather than proactive and sustained. Its public discourse on Islam oscillates between crude, anti-Muslim bigotry and mindless sympathy for largely unjustified Muslim grievance-mongering. Its failure to either charm or cow its Islamist-friendly neighbors -- Pakistan and Bangladesh -- reveals a limited grasp of statecraft.

Finally, India's inability to modernize its 150-million strong Muslim population, the second largest after Indonesia's, has spawned a community that is ill-equipped to seize new economic opportunities and susceptible to militant Islam's faith-based appeal. To be sure, not all of India's problems are of its own making. In Pakistan, it has a neighbor founded on the basis of religion, whose government -- along with those of Iran and Saudi Arabia -- has long been one of the world's principal exporters of militant Islamic fervor.

Bangladesh also hosts a panoply of jihadist groups. As in Pakistan, public sympathy with the militant Islamic worldview forestalls any meaningful effort against those who regularly use the country as a sanctuary to plan mayhem in India. America's unsuccessful Pakistan policy -- too many carrots and too few sticks -- has also contributed to a fundamentally unstable neighborhood.

Nonetheless, the reflexive Indian response to most every act of terrorism is to apportion blame rather than to seek a solution that will prevent, or at least minimize, its recurrence. Even Indonesia -- a still-poor Muslim-majority nation where sympathy for militants runs deeper than it does in India -- has done an infinitely better job of recognizing that the protection of citizens' lives is any government's first responsibility. A superbly trained, federal antiterrorism force called Detachment 88 has ensured that country has not suffered a terrorist attack in more than three years.

By contrast, India's leaders -- who invariably swan around with armed guards paid for by the taxpayer -- can't even agree on a legal framework to keep the country safe. On taking office in 2004, one of the first acts of the ruling Congress Party was to scrap a federal antiterrorism law that strengthened witness protection and enhanced police powers.


The Congress Party has stalled similar state-level legislation in Gujarat, which is ruled by the opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. And it was a Congress government that kowtowed to fundamentalist pressure and made India the first country to ban Mumbai-born Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" in 1988.
The BJP hasn't exactly distinguished itself either. In 1999, the hijacking of an Indian aircraft to then Taliban-ruled Afghanistan led a BJP government to release three hardened militants, including Omar Sheikh Saeed, the former London School of Economics student who would go on to murder Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

More recently, the BJP, driven by tribal religious solidarity and a penchant for conspiracy theories, has failed to demand the same tough treatment for alleged Hindu terrorists as it does for Muslims. Minor parties, especially those dependent on the Muslim vote, compete to earn fundamentalists' favor.

In sum, the Indian approach to terrorism has been consistently haphazard and weak-kneed. When faced with fundamentalist demands, India's democratically elected leaders have regularly preferred caving to confrontation on a point of principle. The country's institutions and culture have abetted a widespread sense of Muslim separateness from the national mainstream. The country's diplomats and soldiers have failed to stabilize the neighborhood. The ongoing drama in Mumbai underscores the price both Indians and non-Indians caught unawares must now pay.
Mr. Dhume is a Washington-based writer and the author of "My Friend the Fanatic: Travels with an Indonesian Islamist" (Text Publishing, 2008).

The lessons learnt from Mumbai Terror Attack

Our collective heads are hanging in shame…
Where was the Crisis Management Group, and, what was it doing all this while? If popular Delhi FM radio station is to be believed, it took precious 9 hours for CMG to assemble and decide about sending NSG team to Mumbai. When it reached there, same source revealed, how they were brought to the venue of their action? No prize for guessing – in BEST buses, no less!

To break the somnambulistic lethargy emanating out of sense of being in power is provably the toughest challenge which Nation faces! Facing the terrorism or hostile nation is consequent and easier!! Leadership changing the dresses and changing the words still spewed same rhetoric! Not only the concerned ministry but the whole country takes the concerned Minister as a liability. ‘Address to the Nation’ with Zombie like glazed looks and monotone - devoid of feelings and emotions can not instill the trust and confidence of the citizens in the national leadership.

Where are the tough anti-terror laws they have been talking about? Where are the tough actions promised time and again?? When police from one Indian state can not enter other state on hot-pursuit then how doctrine of hot pursuit can be practiced when terrorists come from Pakistan and run back to it? Our leaders shy away even naming Pakistan as country behind terrorists activities and on sly name it as ‘neighboring country’ when actually they should name it as Pakistan. Terrorism can not be eliminated by tough talks; it can be eliminated only by tough actions. Taking decision is the most difficulty part; actions are easier for politicians and police forces respectively.


How one redeems his name, ask Hemant Karkare who led from front and sacrificed his life? Till few days back his name was being maligned and now he is a martyr! The political appointment – Director General of Maharashtra Police chose to issue statements from the comforts of his office using brave words when other Director General – in this case – of National Security Guards was in battle fatigue and supervised the whole operation rushing from place to place wherever his guidance was needed. He did not forget to introduce his team of officer involved in operation when he addressed the media. But when a local congress leader faced the camera, not only his followers chanted slogans in his favor as if he was addressing election rally, he himself made it a point to credit his leadership for planning to formulate ‘tough anti-terror law’. Hollow words, all these!

Security personnel and law enforcing agencies are routinely rubbished for being utterly unprofessional, criminally lethargic, poor in intelligence and shabby in action! There have been routinely departmental cases and guilty are punished. What about punishing the leadership? To whom they are answerable?

Some terrorist apprehended will be put through the long drawn legal battle. They might not get punishment, and, even when that happens there is no guarantee that the Government will not dither? Has Afzal been hanged so far? The family members of security personnel who laid down their lives defending the Parliament are still waiting the final decision on Afzal. The Top Executive of the country takes ages deciding on a ‘non-issue’ related to a dreaded terrorist but is always ‘pleased’ to punish some ‘Babu’ coming late to the office!

Those talking bravely about removing ‘North Indians’ from their Land had lapsed in tongue tormenting paralysis and are yet to speak even a single word condemning the terrorist attacks and about their plans to remove the terrorists from their Land.

There were already two ‘Senas” in Mumbai specially trained to bully and tormenting the innocents and vandalizing the public and private property. Surely these ‘Senas” could have handled the ‘terror situation’ in Mumbai without the help of ‘outsiders’ for this would otherwise sully the ‘Asmita’ (self dignity) of ‘Marathi Manoos’! Why was it not done remains a mystery! In fact other mystery is what were the ‘Senapatis’ doing at the time of crisis if not hiding in some bunkers?

When India demands America to declare Pakistan as ‘Rogue Nation’ or ‘Terrorist Nation’ it becomes laughing stock as it is same India which has accorded Pakistan the status of ‘Most Favored Nation’. We don’t have to present so called clinching evidences to USA for Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism in India. If we are so convinced about them, what stops us taking drastic actions? Super Power a country doesn’t become by pretensions, one only becomes by tough actions. Time for tough action is now, if there ever was any!

Our collective heads are hanging in shame for the way country’s leadership so irresponsibly and callously handled the situation in Mumbai! Those who know little Greek mythology will understand that cutting the snakes was never a solution as solution was cutting the head of Medusa! We can eliminate terrorism only by eliminating its breeding and feeding ground which is Pakistan.

Lessons learnnt from Mumbai terror Attacks...,

There are few lessons learnt from the whole 60 hours long operation which ended with more then 195 casualties and more then 280 injured –

Be ever ready!

It pays to be ‘battle ready’ as ‘shahadat’ of Karkare, Kamte and Saluskar has proved. If one is in security duty, do not forget to secure self! No need to be over protective to the verge of being coward, but ensure that reasonable precautions are taken! Dead heroes are history whereas living ones are the national assets.

Remain in control of the situation…

Do not let the situation control you! NSG has proved it more eloquently. Soon after they took charge, not even for a minute it appeared to those watching the whole scene in front of TVs that they were loosing control. They never appeared to be hassled and at receiving end and throughout the operation maintained high level of professionalism. One of the cherubic NSG Commando when asked what was toughest part of operation, nonchalantly commented that “nothing is difficult or tough for them!”

Think out-of-the box!

The terrorists’ strategies can not be taught in the class room from training books. The conventional tactics and strategies are for the conventional warfare for conventional armed forces. Terrorists use almost every time the most audacious and impractical approach for that reasons alone! The security forces need to think out-of-the box! The water-front was not used by the terrorist as approach route so far. But it never was a guarantee for no future use by them. When they did use it, no one was prepared. We have to start thinking the ‘impossible’ as surely someone is capable to convert it into ‘possible’.

Security Force! No hurry, take time! But be timely!!

It takes time to acclimatize with the ground. No security force or commando operation can be undertaken without proper planning involving the reconnaissance of the area to have ‘feel of the ground’. Only fools rush-in! The deliberate and prudent planning takes time as failure endangers precious lives and no ready made ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution can be applied to all the situations. However once the course of action has been decided the entire operation must be conducted with time and precision.

Power of taking Decisions

The Political Leadership takes time to decide, in fact their specialization is in delaying the decision taking and therefore expecting quick or timely decision is asking for too much. It is time that the onus of taking the decision is divested from the politicians and invested to the head of “Anti-Terrorist Federal Agency”, which needs to be created sooner.

NSG Deployment.

If presently National Security Guard (NSG) is expected to handle terrorist strike, hostage situation etc. then why must it remain located in Delhi? If NSG is expected to react to any situation occurring in any part of India, then it must be strategically located in various well connected cities preferably the metropolises. By the time the NSG team reaches the site of their operation, the least local police can do is to barricade the area, ensure smooth traffic movement for ambulance and vehicles of security forces.

Reliable & Timely Communication

Communication through Ham Radios, ‘blogging’ and ‘twittering’ can be very important for common citizens as networks are known to jam in such situations. Keeping the citizens informed is very important in such situations as rumor-mongering will not only demoralize them but may cause another law-and-order problem which law enforcing agencies can ill afford at the time.

Don’t be naïve, we are the terrorists!

Very naively one of the leading English daily describes a typical ‘fidayeen’ as “armed with an assault AK-47 rifle, a 9 mm pistol and several Chinese made hand grenades, with spare bullet magazines in his pouches an knapsack, apart from dry fruits and other eatables to sustain ..” This caricature of fidayeen terrorist is far from truth. The terrorists are not like soldiers of conventional armed forces that they will be always in ‘battle order’ when in battle. They have in past and will be in future too ‘dressed for the occasions’! the terrorists will dress as per the time and location related to their action and will be equipped as per the need and as per the Just because terrorists this time were equipped and accoutered like this doesn’t mean they will be similarly seen in future also. Most likely they will be looking different for the reasons that their appearance of similar type will draw attention in future.

Media! Please don’t mess-up with security personnel!

The media people have to realize that even when they have important duty to perform, their duty is still not more important then that of security forces. In their eagerness of ‘me-first’ they sometimes enter the area where they have no business to be in. There presence in such situation not only hinders the activities of the security personnel, they also become the liabilities of those security personnel who were risking their own lives to save others. The foolhardiness of one such correspondent surely must not have missed the attention of TV viewers when some correspondent was shown telling with bravado of having gone to the area where from he was rescued by the NSG commandos!

Media Ethics, what is that?

The TV channels are known to have gone overboard in such situation in past and this time was also no exception. It was not appreciated by the TV channel while live telecasting the talk with the terrorist that it was almost verging at “offering a platform to espouse their cause”. A fact was overlooked by the channel that a ‘legitimate reporting duty’ of the channel may jeopardize the innocent lives, create law-and-order situation or incite some part of the society for more violence.

Credibility of Media News: Mom no homework!

Common people must understand the most of the media people are ‘generalist’ journalist and being in young as most of them are, are not suppose to know all, even when they pretend otherwise. Their reporting may not be factually accurate or they might not have recourse to cross check the veracity of the facts when reporting live. In one case Kamte was referred as ACP and Additional CP in same breath! In other case NSG Havaldar was referred as senior officer! In both the cases the reporters had shown their very poor knowledge of rank structure of police and armed forces. Understand the affect on the police force of the news of death of Additional Commissioner of Police Addl. CP) when actually Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) died. Similarly people will tend to agree more with the news when it is reported that sources of the information is very senior army officer were as it was actually a havaldar! So, morale is that take the media reporting with pinch of salt. They are known to be wrong some times.

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IISSM GOA 2008

On the eve of annual seminar of IISSM held at Goa, meeting of Board of Governors of IISSM was held on 12th November 2008. Following office bearers were present -

1. Mr. K P Medhekar, IPS (Retd.) - Chairman
2. Mr. R Swaminathan, IPS (Retd) - President & Director General
3. Capt. S B Tyagi (Retd.), FISM, CPP - First Vice President
4. Maj. P Kalastree (Retd.) - Vice Chairman - Pacific Region
5. Prof. Kris Pillai, FISM - Vice Chairman - Africa
6. Col. Stanlay J Grogan (Retd.), CPP - Vice Chairman - US, Canada & West Indies
7. Mr. G S D'souza - Provider Represntative
8. Mr. Uday Singh - Foundation Representative
9. Mr. BG Deopujari - Sapcial Invitee
10. Mr. D C Nath, IPS (Retd.) - Executive President & CEO
11. Lt..Gen. Prem Sagar (Retd.) - Executive Presedent (M&F)

The meeting was held at the International Cullinary & Catering Acadamy (ICCA) having acredition with world renowned Swiss Catering Institute, started by young entrepreneur Mr. GS D’souza who is also the moving force of Goa Chapter of IISSM, the co-host of the annual seminar. The meeting was followed by cocktail - dinner for which ladies also joined-in later.

The annual seminar begun from 13-15 November at Hotel Cidade de Goa and was inaugurated by His Exellency, The Governor of Goa.

Few glimpses of the seminar are given below -