Crime Branch CID (Crime Investigation Department) (sometimes known as

Investigation Branch) is a specialised wing in many state police forces in India of

their Crime Investigation Department (CID). Personnel attached to this wing
essentially work in plain clothes or Mufti. Criminal Investigation Department, (CID) is
constituted in each district under a Deputy Inspector General of Police for the
purpose of collating and distributing information regarding organised crimes. Other
branches of the CID are, State Crime Investigation Bureau, Finger Print Bureau and
Scientific Section.
Like their counterparts in the Law and Order police, Crime Branch has its own ranks
right up to the level of Additional Director General of Police or Special Commissioner
of Police. Crime Branch has senior officers like Superintendents, Inspectors, Sub
Inspectors and the constabulary. Officers and men attached to this wing generally
add the prefix 'Detective' before their regularrank (e. g.: Detective Inspector).
Crime Branch's tasks are to investigate criminal cases, which spans across
multiple districts or even states. The CB CID may also take up complicated cases
like communal riot cases, circulation of counterfeit currency, or very
complicated murder cases. The local police along with their normal duties, would find
it tough to allot men to these complicated cases. Crime Branch investigation is
ordered either by a judicial court, by the Director General of Police, or
the government.
Crime Branch officers can be transferred to the law and order police, and also vice
versa. Crime Branch is different from Crime Detachment or Crime Sq. Crime
Detachment and Crime Sq s, are a group of regular law and order police men (who
generally would wear the uniform) specifically detailed by the Police Inspector to
work in plain clothes to keep a tab on local hoodlums, prostitutes, petty thieves and
other habitual offenders.

The Criminal Investigation Department (Crime Branch) is a part of the

State Police Organization, which exercises a general watch and control on
the functions of the State Police relating to crime covering all the aspects
of prevention, investigation and detection of crime. It is concerned with
collection and record of information relating to crimes and criminals. It
also deals with matters relating to study and research, criminology and
social defense.
HISTORY OF CID
Ever since the enactment of Act V of 1861, whereby the police system of
British India got streamlined, there were proposals at regular intervals to
form a specialised detective wing. However it was not till the Police
Commission of 1902-03, which finally recommended the formation of a
Criminal Investigation Department for each of the provinces that the
concept was seriously examined. It was recommended that a Criminal
Investigation Department, (CID) should be constituted in each province
under a Deputy Inspector General of Police for the purpose of collating
and distributing information regarding organised crimes. It would also be
in charge of Railway Police and the Finger Print Bureau, which was earlier
under the Secretariat Police officer. The CID would also undertake the
investigation of specialised crimes that require technical expertise. Finally
on 21 March 1905 the Government of India accepted the proposal of the
Commission and issued instructions to start the department in every
province by 1907.

1902 - Frazer Commission was appointed by the then British Government to

review the Policing in British India and to recommend suggestions for improvement
in Police Department.

1903 - Frazer Commission submitted its report to Government. One Important

recommendation of the Commission was that a separate Crime Branch should be
created for each Presidency under direction and control of the Inspector General of
Police. Mr.J.E.Down, Inspector General of Police of Bombay Presidency from 1897
to June 1905, had assisted Frazer Commission in drafting recommendations for
improvement in policing.

June 1905 - The British Government implemented recommendations of

Frazer Commission.

The Government vide G.R.No.zJudicial Deptt./5607/05 Dtd. 26/10/1905

reorganized erstwhile Criminal Investigation Branch of Bombay Presidency and
Criminal Investigation Department came into picture.

FUNCTIONS:

The principal functions, among various others, of the State Criminal

Investigation Department are as follows:1. Providing information pertaining to crime and criminals to the State
Government, Central Government, Director General of Police and other
authorized bodies, as and when required.
2. Preparation and publication of Criminal Intelligence Gazette.
3. General watch and control over crime in the state as a whole, and
assistance to the district police in prevention, investigation and detection
of crime.
4. Study of trends of certain types of crime e.g. professional crime, grave
and serious crime etc with a view to devise and recommend appropriate
prevention measures.
5. Investigation of important, complicated and serious cases of crimes in
which professional gang or criminals are involved and also of crimes
having inter-district, Inter-State or international ramifications.
6. Management and Maintenance of State Crime Record Bureau.
7. Maintenance of handling and Photography Cell.
8. Liaison with other Departments and Organizations of the State, the
Criminal Investigation Department concerned with matters relating to
crime and criminals.
9. Such other functions as may be assigned to the Branch by Director
General of Police of the State.
10. Timely preparation of periodical reports, returns and publications
relating to the crime and criminals.