![GPS Enabled Digital Cameras, Online Portals For Crime Scene Photography: Amicus Curiae Arun Mohan Suggests To SC [Read Order]](https://res.cloudinary.com/demo/image/fetch/w_340,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.livelaw.in/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Supreme-Court-of-India.jpg)
Making his submissions before the Supreme Court, Amicus Curiae Senior Advocate Arun Mohan, on Tuesday, favored the use of GPS enabled digital cameras having a time stamp system for taking photographs of crime scenes. These cameras, he submitted, were available in the market for a cost of Rs. 8000 each.He further suggested that States can create portals for uploading of crime scene images, from which time stamp and reference numbers can be noted. These can then be sent to the concerned police station where they can be downloaded and added to the case diary.Furthermore, he recommended that the Bureau of Police Research and Development can prepare a crime scene photography manual in English and regional languages, and that the funds for these recommendations can be withdrawn from the unutilized funds from previous years.Considering these submissions, the Bench comprising Justice A.K. Goel and Justice U.U. Lalit left it open to Mr. Mohan to submit a written note to the Centre, which … [Read more...] about GPS Enabled Digital Cameras, Online Portals For Crime Scene Photography: Amicus Curiae Arun Mohan Suggests To SC [Read Order]
Crime
Conviction For Causing Disappearance Of Evidence Merely Because Of Failure To Inform Police About Crime Not Justified: SC [Read Judgment]
![Conviction For Causing Disappearance Of Evidence Merely Because Of Failure To Inform Police About Crime Not Justified: SC [Read Judgment]](https://res.cloudinary.com/demo/image/fetch/w_340,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill/http://www.livelaw.in/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Kurian-Joseph-Amitava-Roy.jpg)
The Supreme Court, in Dinesh Kumar Kalidas Patel v State of Gujarat, has held that a person cannot be convicted for causing disappearance of evidence merely because he failed to inform the police about the crime.The trial court had convicted a person for offences under Sections 498A and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The high court acquitted him of the offence under Section 498A of the IPC but conviction under Section 201 of the IPC was maintained.The bench of Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Amitava Roy observed that the high court had maintained the conviction under Section 201 of the IPC, only on the ground that the accused did not give intimation to the police of the unnatural death and that no post-mortem was conducted.“We are afraid, the High Court is not justified in maintaining the conviction under Section 201 only on the ground that no communication was given to the police and that the post-mortem had not been performed,” the bench observed.The court said a … [Read more...] about Conviction For Causing Disappearance Of Evidence Merely Because Of Failure To Inform Police About Crime Not Justified: SC [Read Judgment]
Self-styled crime reporter is charged with misuse of information; she sees free-speech violation
A Texas woman who heads to crime scenes and broadcasts her own crime reports on Facebook is facing charges after she broadcast the name of a man who committed suicide before the police department released the information.Priscilla Villarreal Treviño was charged last month with two counts of misuse of official information after broadcasting the name, allegedly leaked to Villarreal by a Laredo, Texas, police officer, the Los Angeles Times reports. Villarreal claims a violation of her free-speech rights. The Laredo Morning Times has previous coverage here and here.The suicide victim was an agriculture supervisory program manager with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.Villarreal calls herself Lagordiloca—Spanish for “the crazy fat lady.” The Los Angeles Times describes her Facebook feeds as “a mix of raw news and gossip.” She is often recognized as she drives a Dodge Ram she bought for $700 while wearing a Lagordiloca T-shirt. She has more than 86,000 … [Read more...] about Self-styled crime reporter is charged with misuse of information; she sees free-speech violation
FBI statistics reveal violent crime drop and murder rate increase in first half of 2017
[JURIST] The FBI [official website] released preliminary statistics [materials] Tuesday outlining US crime metrics from January through June 2017, which indicated a downward trend in violent crime and rise in the homicide rate. In the first half of 2017 the violent crime rate fell by 0.8 percent in comparison with the same period last year. In both 2015 and 2016 the crime rates had increased [JURIST report] modestly from historical lows, which was a campaign issue for President Donald Trump.In conjunction with these findings, Attorney General Jeff Sessions [official site] published an op-ed [text] in USA Today praising the Trump administration and his efforts at reducing the rate:When President Trump was inaugurated, he made the American people a promise: 'This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.' It is a promise that he has kept. ... For the first time in the past few years, the American people can hope for a safer future.While Sessions recognized the homicide rate … [Read more...] about FBI statistics reveal violent crime drop and murder rate increase in first half of 2017
UK report: crimes motivated by misogyny should be classified as hate crimes
[JURIST] Crimes motivated by misogyny should be classified as hate crimes, according to a report [press release] released Tuesday by the Fawcett Society [advocacy website], an organization that campaigns for women's rights in the UK.The report is the result of the research their Sex Discrimination Law Review panel conducted on the effectiveness of sex equality legislation in the UK post-Brexit.The report discusses domestic violence, employment discrimination and a litany of other issues that women face in the UK. According to Fawcett Society's chief executive and panel member, Sam Smethers, the culture of misogyny to which women are subjected on a daily basis permits the normalization [Metro report] of harassment and abuse and allows the legal system to continue to fail at providing women access to justice. The panel has identified various gaps in the existing protections for women, such as disparities in wages, the lack of laws in place to protect women who experience harassment in … [Read more...] about UK report: crimes motivated by misogyny should be classified as hate crimes