The Supreme Court has directed all States to put in place a mechanism to probe all orders of acquittal and record reasons for the failure of prosecution cases. Expressing concern over the growing number of acquittals due to poor investigation, a bench of justices CK Prasad and JS Khehar yesterday directed all state governments to put in place a mechanismm, within six months, for proper training of investigating officers to ensure the accused are punished and innocent persons are not framed in criminal cases. The bench said that each erring officer must suffer the consequences of his lapse, by appropriate departmental action, whenever called for.

The bench gave the order after it found inadequate evidence against a man, who was found giulty in a rape of a minor girl from Ahmedabad. The trial court had found him guilty and awarded death sentence, but both the high court and the Supreme Court found the evidence inadequate to declare the man guilty.