The national Capital has witnessed an astounding 258.7 per cent rise in crime incidents in the last five years, yet the infrastructure to tackle such incidents remains the same, leading to huge pendency in probe cases.
Even worse is that the Delhi Police is still dependent on a single Forensic Science laboratory (FSl) in North Delhi’s Rohini area, which is under the Delhi Government, for various scientific investigations. To address the shortcoming, the Delhi Police is planning to set up its own forensic laboratory on the lines of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Top sources said the Delhi Police has asked the Crime Branch to prepare a report for establishing its own fully-equipped forensic science laboratory, with various divisions, such as physics, chemistry, biology, serology, ballistics, documents, finger prints, forensic psychology, photo, computer forensic science and scientific aids along with state-of-the-art laboratories for computer forensics and DNA profiling. Police have written several times to the Delhi Government in the last five years for expansion of forensic facilities but no concrete steps were ever taken.
In Delhi, crime rate has increased from 53,353 cases in 2011 to 1,91,377 in 2015, a rise of 258.7 per cent, but the apathy of the State Government to expand and provide better forensic facilities to carry out investigation doesn’t help the situation, said sources. This year so far, the city has witnessed 1,26,230 crime incidents, including rape, murder, dacoity and robbery.
The CBI had established its own CFSl in 1968 to provide scientific support and services to the investigation of crime. The laboratory is at CGO Complex at lodhi Road in Delhi.
last year, even Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal had issued notice to Principal Secretary (Home) of the Delhi Government seeking details of the officers responsible for expiration of samples at Forensic Science laboratory.
In the reply to the commission, Director of FSl had stated that 7,808 cases are pending between September 30, 2015 and 2011. The validity of 1,479 samples have expired and that report can no longer be prepared as all other samples have a validity of one year except for documentary evidence. Since 2011, over 12,000 cases are pending.