Representative image showing a police officer.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has empowered police inspectors and sub-inspectors to handle cases filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, an official notification said.
Earlier, officers in the rank of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and above could investigate and prosecute such cases, besides making an arrest.
The notification issued on Saturday said inspectors and SIs may now exercise authority before any special court designated under the Act, within their territorial jurisdiction.
The decision aims to improve responsiveness and expedite legal action in cases involving atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, it said.