Criminal investigation is like composing a piece of music. First, you are inspired by some emotions, you write down your thoughts and then compose the symphony trying various movements, variations, repetitions and combinations of notes.

In investigation symphony, the quest for justice should be the fundamental inspiration of our investigating artist. One cannot create a symphony with melodies of truth and justice until one is inspired by a craving for justice. Is a quest for justice the primary inspiration for our investigation officers?

A standard symphony is composed in four movements; an investigation goes through a similar number of steps or stages. Crime scene inspection is the first movement in the investigation symphony. Just as the first movement of a symphony sets the mood for subsequent movements, the chords of finding, preserving, collecting, parceling and dispatching the evidence, if struck with appropriate force and rhythm, will lay the foundation for the subsequent stages of investigation. At this stage, like the brisk and lively first movement of symphony, the investigation has to be quick and exigent, lest some evidence is wasted.

After a lively and energetic first movement, the second one is usually slow and lyrical. In the second stage of investigation; the investigation artist looks for bits and pieces of evidence in a cool and composed manner enjoying the flow of information. He evokes evidential tunes by hitting the keys of witnesses, possible connections and general public interviews.

In the third movement, expert reports come and the investigation artist compares them with various pieces of evidence that have been collected and develops connections between them. This is like a musician trying various combinations and the repetitions of the tunes to add substance and flavour to it.

Then comes the fourth rollicking movement; our IA confronts the accused with evidence to assure himself of the veracity of the evidence and validity of the conclusions. The symphony is complete. He embellishes it with the notes of ultimate musicality and sends it to prosecution - the virtuoso - to remove any weak notes and fortify it with sublimities to appeal to judge’s mind. Not impressed! Remarks the judge. What went wrong?

Unfortunately, many of our investigators are very poor at playing with the strings and keys. For a majority of them investigation means visiting the scene, picking up anything they found there, recording some statements, attaching the site plan and writing the conclusion in implacable terms as ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ with a revelational authority, on the basis of their informal knowledge without any evidence to connect the crime to the accused.

This is like indiscriminately thumping your fingers and thumbs on the black and white keys of a piano, evoking a blare of juddering sounds and look at the audience for appreciation.

Every investigation is supposed to be overseen at every step and reviewed at the end by a supervisory officer before it is passed on to the prosecution and court. Unfortunately, many supervisors don’t have either the time or the requisite skills for the job.

The instruments available and the environment in which most investigators work are not conducive either. Often, the keys of our piano are sticking or broken altogether. The ivory of finance emits an almost inaudible sound and the investigator has to compensate by tapping the tunes out of citizens’ pockets.

The keys of crime scene investigation tools are also in bad shape. The witness orchestra either refuse to play or emit false tunes.

Just like a symphony composer, an investigator needs an environment in which he can work with focus and peace of mind. His environment is cluttered with a lot of junk and noise. Time and again, he has to dance to the tunes of rabble-rousers besides beating the security drum around various religious and political gatherings here and there throughout the year.

The investigation is the princess of policing. In our country, it has been relegated to the role of a Cinderella - an underling, an underfed scullion - always advised and admonished but at the same time expected to compose a symphony as melodic as Beethoven’s fifth. This won’t happen until the under-privileged, under-moneyed and under-actuated Cinderella rises to its rightful place in the royal house of policing.