AAP government-run forensic lab set record on examinations

For the first time, the AAP government-run Forensic Science Laboratory in Rohini has set a record by conducting forensic tests in about 500 case properties in July this year, which is a whooping 400 per cent increase in comparison to the examinations it had been doing in previous months. This remarkable progress has been possible only because the government had inducted more experts and increased the number of forensic teams from 18 to 25. The delay in forensic examination has been one of the key reasons for cases getting dragged for a lon-ger period in city courts.

Insiders said that earlier, the forensic laboratory used to receive about 250-odd case properties for examination and analysis every month. Of these, the laboratory used to conduct forensic examination of about 100-odd cases only. A senior officer said the previously 18 teams, each having three members, used to carry out forensic examination. “Now we have 25 teams and each of these has been given a monthly target of 20 cases. Also, all the six divisional heads have been given financial powers to make day-to-day purchases.”

The main task of the lab is to formulate a proper ev-idence management system. It carries out the ana-lysis and examination of exhibits of documents, co-mputer hardware, mobiles, blood, semen, saliva, hairs, bones, DNA, viscera, drugs, alcohol, petroleum pro-ducts, fire arms, bullets, building material, road accidents, decipherment and restoration of altered numbers of stolen vehicles, soil analysis, audio, video tapes, speaker identification and polygraph examination of suspects. Forensic teams also visit crime spots and provide expert testimony to courts.

In order to further speed up forensic examination, the laboratory has placed before the government a request for procurement of more equipment, extra work and parking space and more manpower. Ano-ther senior officer said: “To create electronic evidence examination, six exa-mination units are required for speaker identification. There is an urgent need for 30 computers with required softwares. Instr-uments for trace analysis and image processing is also required. We also need latest high mega pixel cameras with all accessories.”

A presentation made by the laboratory said that space was the main crunch in the smooth functioning of its Chemistry division.

The existing working area under FSL is 1,062-sq-mt. The FSL requires an additional space of 2,000-sq-mt for setting up toxicology, narcotic and explosive lab in Rohini. In order to increase visits to crime spots, the lab has proposed it should be provided with two more mobile forensic investigation vehicles. The lab also requires an additional room or hall for keeping crime exhibits.