Govt plans to seek foreign suggestions for forensic lab

The Delhi government plans to bring in experts from abroad to seek advice on setting up a world-class forensic lab in the city

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A top functionary in the Home Department said the need for a world-class facility was felt when investigators were forced to seek a foreign lab’s help in Sunanda Pushkar’s death case.

“Soon experts from other countries may visit Delhi’s forensic lab at Rohini and suggest steps to upgrade facilities or setting up a new unit,” said an official.

The suggestions may also be incorporated at the construction stage Regional Forensic Science Laboratories in sector-21/23 Rohini , Sheikh Sarai  and Sayurpur, Mehrauli,” said an official said.

The experts will particularly be involved in planning to create cold storage facility for chemistry and DNA division in the existing forensic infrastructure.

“A firing range for the Rohini FSL’s ballistic division and a new explosive division with the help of international experts’ help are also being considered,” said an official.

The government may consider upgrading the existing facilities to have a full-fledged computer forensic division which may help in cyber crimes and anti-terror operations, he said.

A government functionary said the upgradation of facilities will also speed up investigation and court proceedings.

“Faster forensic reports will help save time of courts which would be able to use it in other cases for clearing backlog,” he said.

Due to limitations of the existing forensic facilities, the Delhi Police were forced to send the final medical and forensic reports of Sunanda Pushkar to a London laboratory for a second opinion.

Through the Central Bureau of Investigation, the police involved the Interpol for the analysis of the report.

The three-page report was prepared by a panel of three doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which was submitted on December 29, 2014.