The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to take immediate steps to fill up the vacancies of investigating officers and public prosecutors in the Vigilance Department within three months to speed up the investigation into graft cases.

A single bench of Justice Dr. S.K.Panigrahi, relying on the affidavit submitted by the Vigilance Department, directed the principal secretary of the Home Department to take immediate steps to fill up the three vacant posts in the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Vigilance and 74 vacant posts in the rank of inspectors at the earliest possible with utmost promptitude, preferably within a period of three months from the date of presentation of copy of the order.

“Further, it is directed that eighteen vacant posts in public prosecutor, two vacant posts in additional public prosecutor and one vacant post in assistant public prosecutor shall be filled up as expeditiously as possible within a period of three months from the date of presentation of an authenticated copy of the order so as to ensure proper investigation and expedite the process of prosecution,” Justice Dr. Panigrahi ruled in an order.

DSPs and inspectors of the anti-corruption wing are authorised to investigate all the cases. The strength of Vigilance DSP is 59 against the sanctioned strength of 62 with three vacant posts. Similarly, in the rank of inspector the present strength is 79 as against the sanctioned strength of 153 with a vacancy of 74 posts, the anti-corruption wing of Odisha police informed the Court in an affidavit.

Considering other duties such as intelligence collection, detection of corrupt practices, secret verifications, open enquiries, field visits, searches and monitoring of prosecution in ongoing trials, a yardstick of completion of investigation in 2.5 cases per annum is considered appropriate. Hence if the current vacancy of 77 investigating officers is filled up, the Vigilance organization would be able to complete the investigation of considerably more cases than the average annual registration, which will bring down the backlog significantly in due course, it stated.

With regard to the prosecutors, appointment of Cadre Public Prosecutors in vacant positions would ensure one Cadre PP per Court, which would suffice in conducting the prosecution. Further, this would considerably enhance the quality of prosecution and disposal rate. However, as a long-term solution for expeditious completion of trials in Vigilance cases, the setting up of more Courts or designation of existing Courts for conducting vigilance cases may be considered. Also, presently the Courts conducting the trial of other cases may be designated as exclusive Vigilance Courts to expedite trial in vigilance cases, the affidavit noted.

“The Court hopes and trusts that the concerned department shall take appropriate steps immediately so as to assure the anxiety of this Court”, the order concluded.