Mumbai, July 2 -- The State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA) has directed the state government to train investigating officers at police stations to conduct proper, unbiased probes in sensitive cases and ensure they adhere to standard operating procedures (SOPs) formulated by the state government. The SPCA issued the directions to the home department on June 20 while disposing of a complaint filed by city resident Lorna Carvalho, who alleged that the police did not take appropriate action on her complaint, in violation of directions issued by the Supreme Court in the Lalita Kumari Vs State of UP case. Carvalho approached the SPCA in February 2024, saying she had filed a complaint at the Azad Maidan police station in March 2023 after being assaulted, humiliated and threatened by residents of her building for complaining to the civic body about water issues. The Azad Maidan police registered an FIR based on her complaint after a gap of four days and the concerned officers recorded statements in haste and did not investigate the case properly, she alleged. Police officers named in her complaint included deputy commissioner of police (zone 1) Pravin Munde; assistant commissioner of police (Colaba division) Dharmapal Bansode; and senior police inspector Bhushan Bhednekar and assistant police inspector and investigating officer Vikas Survase from the Azad Maidan police station. Survase, in his submission, said that Carvalho's allegations were not based on facts as neighbhours had denied assaulting her. The investigation could not reach any definitive conclusion regarding the alleged incident and the complaint was closed without further action, he said. His seniors too supported the closure of the complaint, saying it lacked factual basis. SPCA chief justice Shrihari Davare and member Vijay Satbir Singh disposed of Carvalho's complaint for want of proof, but stressed that investigating officers did not put in efforts to gather adequate evidence to take the case to its logical end. The SPCA observed that investigating officers lacked seriousness and recorded statements in a casual, mechanical manner, full of discrepancies. They should be trained to record statements more clearly and unambiguously, which would help avoid allegations of partiality or casualness in probes, the order said. The SPCA has asked the home department to submit a report on steps taken for compliance with its directive. No time limit has been mentioned for submitting the report....