For quick probe into crimes against women, Govt to set up advanced forensic labs in five cities

The government plans to set up highly advanced forensic laboratories in five more cities - Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati, Pune and Bhopal - in the next three months.

Image Credit: Twitter/WCD Ministry

New Delhi: For speedier probe into cases of crimes against women, the country's first advanced DNA forensic laboratory will come up in Chandigarh very soon. 

The government also plans to set up such highly advanced forensic laboratories in five more cities - Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati, Pune and Bhopal - in the next three months.

This was announced by Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Friday.

Smt. @ManekaGandhiBJP: To address the gap of forensic DNA analysis of sexual assault cases, the Chandigarh forensic facility will be replicated in #Pune, #Bhopal & #Guwahati immediately.#SakhiSurakshaDNALab pic.twitter.com/VBDRddSCdh — Ministry of WCD (@MinistryWCD) June 1, 2018

"Forensic analysis plays a critical role in criminal investigation and the Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory in the Central Forensic Science Lab (CFSL), Chandigarh campus will contribute in addressing the gap in forensic DNA analysis of pending sexual assault cases in the country,'' she said. 

"The current sample storage capacity of CFSL is less than 160 cases per year and Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory is estimated to increase the capacity to 2,000 cases per year in Chandigarh alone," the minister said in a statement.

Giving more details, the minister said that more advanced forensic labs will be set up in collaboration with the Union Home Ministry.

“@MinistryWCD firmly believes that we are partners with @HMOIndia & CFSL in fighting crimes against women,” said Smt. @ManekaGandhiBJP, while reviewing the facilities of voice analytics, phone forensic analysis, DNA profiling & ballistic forensics at CFSL.#SakhiSurakshaDNALab pic.twitter.com/z5eIoVWd6c — Ministry of WCD (@MinistryWCD) June 1, 2018

''The lab is being set up as a model forensic lab and would be replicated in other parts of the country, bringing the total minimum annual capacity of the labs to 50,000 cases,'' Maneka Gandhi said. 

Underscoring the importance of the forensics in nabbing the culprits in sexual assault cases, the minister said that special forensic kits for probe into rape cases would be distributed to all police stations and hospitals by July. 

"Forensic rape kits are currently with CFSL Chandigarh for validation. These inviolable kits will be used for providing uncontaminated evidence and would contain a complete list of evidence/samples to be collected along with the equipment required to collect the evidence," she added.

According to a statement from the WCD Ministry, the Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory would have four units to address cases related to women - a Sexual Assault and Homicide unit; Paternity unit; Human Identification unit and a Mitochondrial unit.

"Apart from the sexual assault and homicide unit, the other three units are interlinked and will work to examine cases related to crime against women. While paternity unit is essential to solving cases related to criminal paternity, gender selection and child swapping in hospitals, the human identification unit is important in cases of missing person or children,'' the statement said. 

"Mitochondrial unit will conduct mitochondrial DNA analysis in cases where regular Nuclear DNA analysis is not possible such as in case of highly degraded samples. The mitochondrial unit can also be used to better explore family relationships," it said.

At present, there are six Central Forensic Science Labs (CFSLs) in Chandigarh, Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Bhopal and one State Forensic Science Lab in each state/union territory.

These labs are responsible for conducting forensic analysis of all cases in the country including sexual assault, criminal paternity and homicide. 

(With IANS inputs)