Delhi Police mandates forensic investigation in all crimes that attract 6-yr jail term

|HT|

Delhi Police on Tuesday decided to make forensic investigation mandatory in all crimes where punishment provided is of more than six years.

A senior officer of the union ministry of home affairs (MHA) said with the standing order issued, Delhi has become the first state where forensic investigation has been made compulsory in all serious cases.

“After union home minister’s directions, Delhi has acted swiftly and has become the first state to implement the MHA’s directions,” said the officer, on condition of anonymity.

“The decision to make forensic investigation “compulsory and legal” for such offences has been taken to make conviction rate higher, on the lines of recent directions of Hon’ble Union Home Minister. Delhi Police has already integrated the criminal justice system (ICJS) with forensic science investigation and have also collaborated with National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar to train and guide investigating officers to make watertight cases against accused persons,” said a Delhi Police spokesperson.

In the standing order, Sanjay Arora, commissioner of police, categorically said Delhi Police have its own mobile crime team van in each district.

“In addition to it, one forensic mobile van shall be allotted to each district to provide scientific and forensic assistance on the spot to IOs, whenever any need arises. These vehicles shall be fully-equipped with scientific tools and a sufficient number of forensic assistants shall be detailed in each such van,” it stated.

The order further said these forensic mobile vans will not be under the administrative control of the police, but shall be an independent entity, which will be responsible to the court of law.

“However, they shall visit the scene of crime whenever called by the SHOs or the IOs of the police stations or crime branch or special cell or any other investigating agency of Delhi Police,” it said.

“By making forensic investigation mandatory in all serious crimes, we will really increase the conviction rate and will have lesser chances of human errors. It will also bring more professional approach in the investigating officers as well as the prosecutors,” said the officer, asking not to be named.

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