It is like a diesel engine fitted to a bullock cart. While the organisation is crawling, its new director is trying to make the system to run.
Arun Kumar Bapuly is the first forensic scientist to head the Odisha State Forensic laboratory (OSFl) in Bhubaneswar. As an authority on forensic science, he has trained IPS officers and other senior top cops in the National Police Academy for quite long time
A scientist with a PhD in Forensic Serology, Bapuly has taken over as the first professional Director of the 48-year-old Odisha State Forensic laboratory (OSFl), which has so far hardly impressed the Odisha Police with its performance. With a pending list of 16,611 cases having over 1 lakh exhibits, the OSFl was crying for a professional boss.
Dr Bapuly, who single-handedly set up a state-of-the art State Forensic laboratory in Jharkhand, would now be replicating it in Odisha, said one of his close aides. He is all set to modernise the OSFl, where 80 per cent of
the equipments are just not functioning.
The Odisha State Forensic laboratory (OSFl), which is facing dearth of qualified manpower, also has a train of untrained human resources, which acts as a deterrent to turn the institution into a professional one. Dr Bapuly has chalked out plans to change the situation, said sources.
With Dr Bapuly’s postdoctoral research in DNA Profiling in the UK, the OSFl would benefit to have the facility of DNA Profiling and Cyber Forensic, the sources said. Dr.Bapuly is working out phase-wise expansion and making provisions for DNA examination and profiling on a priority basis.
For DNA test now, the support of outside agencies is being taken, for which the Odisha Police is facing a lot of problems. Similarly, cyber forensic facilities would be added in the OSFl, said the sources. Dr Bapuly has held discussions with chief of Crime Branch BK Sharma, who is much interested for cyber forensic facilities as cyber crimes are on the rise.
Funds would also be made available for upgradation in the lie detection-geographical and psychological profiling of the criminals.
Dr Bapuly said that apart from modernisation, the OSFl’s existing facilities would be activated to be more result-oriented as the pending list has crossed 16,000 along with exhibits touching 1 lakh.
A lie Detection Unit is on the cards with addition of geographical and psychological profiling of criminals in the OSFl.
Upgradation of Physics, Biology, Serology, Ballistics, General Chemistry, Toxicology and other sections of the OSFl would also be undertaken on a priority basis, said Dr Bapuly.