Critical shortages of equipment, chemicals and skilled manpower hobbling Forensic Science Laboratory, Assam; 1,052 cases pending up to March this year
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, April 30: The Forensic Science Laboratory, Assam at Kahilipara lies buried under a mountain of pending cases. There is little possibility of improvement anytime soon, which in turn is seriously undermining crimil investigation across the State. Cases are not reaching the courts, amounting to denial of justice to thousands of victims and their families.
Despite the lab’s services being sought by various law enforcement agencies on a regular basis, it has failed to provide timely services due to lack of necessary equipment, chemicals, expert manpower and other materials. By the latest count, 1,052 cases are pending with different departments of the laboratory up to March this year.
Before March, there were total 1,040 cases pending with 275 cases with the Technology division of the lab, 218 cases with the Ballistics division, 172 cases with the Digital and Forensic units, 88 cases with the Drugs and rcotics division, 31 cases with the Serology division, 10 cases with the D division, 8 cases with the Photography division, 5 cases with the Physics division, and 2 cases each with the Explosives and the Biology divisions.
Reports further stated that there were 1,063 cases with 12,521 exhibits pending with the Forensic Science Laboratory at the end of 2016. Up to March this year, 214 new cases were received by the laboratory.
The services of the laboratory are sought by the Assam Police and police of other Northeastern States, apart from the tiol Investigation Agency (NIA), the Army, BSF, NF Railway, banks, medical colleges and hospitals, Customs and Central Excise, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Forest department and many other agencies.
But owing to shortage of equipment, chemicals and other required items, the lab staff is not able to submit forensic reports on time, which subsequently delays filing of charge-sheets in court by police and investigating agencies. Some vital equipments kept in the laboratory are also not being used due to non-availability of experts.
Sources told The Sentinel that the laboratory has recently received different types of chemicals.
The Forensic Science Laboratory, Assam was established in 1967 in Shillong and shifted to Guwahati two years later. Initially it was under the administrative control of Director General of Police, Assam, but in 2005, it came under direct control of the State Home department. Since then, it is known as Directorate of Forensic Science, Assam.
The Directorate is composed of 11 divisions – ballistic, biology, chemistry, drugs and rcotics, explosives, instrumentation, photography, physics, questioned documents, serology and toxicology. Further there are two sub–units – D Unit and Computer Forensics Unit.