Cops to get more forensic teeth

Delhi’s sole forensic lab is bogged down with over 10,000 cases to solve and it gets around 500 new samples every month. Now the capital is set to get three more forensic labs as well as 11 mobile FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) vans to aid quick solving of cases.

‘To help Delhi police in solving crime cases promptly, we have in principle okayed three FSL labs that will come up near the district courts. This will greatly help to reduce the burden on the FSL in Rohini to deal with forensic cases,’ a Delhi government official said.

‘We have approached the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) for land for setting up these labs,’ the offiical, who did not wish to be identified, said.

The official said the decision on the 11 mobile FSL — a proposal given by Delhi police for each police district so as to make evidence gathering a prompt and accurate affair — was also cleared last month.

‘The decision on mobile vans was taken a month ago at a high-level meeting of officials of the Delhi government’s home department, the FSL and Delhi Police. The proposal has been sent to the union home ministry and we are confident of a positive response,’ another Delhi government official said.

The urgency to get more forensic labs and mobile vans stems from the fact that biological evidence does not have more than six months’ shelf life in preserved form.

After six months the samples, including of blood, DNA and viscera, begin to decay — making identification impossible, said a FSL scientist unwilling to be identified.

‘Looking at the load on the FSL labs, in most cases the forensic samples become unusable,’ he said.

The capital’s sole FSL is run by the Delhi government.

It has cases that have been pending for more than two years.

Newer samples keep arriving every day - of body fluids, DNA samples, finger prints, semen and vaginal swabs, spent bullets, gun powder traces and guns - to identify and match. Police accept that lack of prompt forensic reports has held up the solving of several important cases. IANS