Jammu and Kashmir will get five mobile forensic science laboratories (FSL) soon under 11th five year plan owing to increasing crime and defunct laboratories within the state which fail to cater the workload of pending cases, deputy Director H.C Baghat said.
The Directorate of Forensic Science Services, Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs has released Rs. 83 lakh as first instalment for setting up two District Mobile Forensic Units in Jammu & Kashmir. This is aimed to make J&K Forensic Science Laboratory more vibrant and more approachable.
MHA, GOI has sanctioned three more District Mobile Field Units for J&K Forensic Science laboratory at the estimated cost of Rs. One crore each. Though all the five District Units shall be 100% funded by the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, these Mobile Units will be equipped with latest Scientific Gadgets which will help on spot Scientific investigation at the scene of crime and will help nab down criminals.
Three member reviewing team from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted by chief forensic scientists visited recently for reviewing working conditions of Jammu and Kashmir Labs and problems they are facing in Jammu and Kashmir. They would file their report to MHA and state government within two to three months, Dy. Director H.C Bhagat told Kashmir Images
Meanwhile, asphyxiated by shortage of staff, over two hundred crime linked cases were referred by Jammu unit to Srinagar Forensic Science Lab (FSL) including the controversial case of Vijay Kumar of Gajansoo who was allegedly killed in police custody. Presently over 1500 case files are biting dust in the FSL Jammu.
Speaking to Kashmir images Dy. Director H.C Bhagat said," There is huge influx of cases with rise in crime rate and increase in number of reported cases, but we are facing difficulty in keeping pace due to scant staff", however, we have decided that only those cases comes under priority list which directly comes through the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and no junior ranked officers can approach us because this would increased extra burden on our staff, he added
Interestingly, over 40 % employees are retired in FSL Jammu and there is no substitute of Fingerprints experts, documents and paleography labs experts which have important technical jobs to perform. "Since 1983 there have been no new recruitments in the department" Dy. Director H.C Bhagat told Kashmir Images.
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