India, May 16 -- Over 45,000 head constables, and a section of the 110,000-odd police constables and over 25,000 police naiks who pass certain criteria, can now investigate cases in Maharashtra, according to an order issued by the state home department recently.

With this move, the Maharashtra government is looking to address a shortage of manpower in the state police force, especially after the abolishment of the police naik post in 2021, officials said.

According to the order, which was uploaded online on Friday, head constables have been given the power to investigate cases filed at police stations. Along with them, police constables and naiks who have a graduate degree, who have been in the service for more than seven years, and who...