Delhi Police becomes first police force to make collection of forensic evidence mandatory

Tags: National National News

Delhi Police has become the first police force in the country to make the collection of forensic evidence mandatory for offences punishable with more than six years.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The order was issued on August 30 during the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the police headquarters.

• Delhi being a Union Territory, its police force is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• The purpose of the initiative is to increase the conviction rate and to integrate the criminal justice system with forensic science investigation.

• The Home Minister said that in serious cases, the police should file the charge sheet only after legal investigation.

• A detailed action plan has been prepared to crack down on narcotics in Delhi.

• A strategy has also been chalked out to crack down on multi-state criminal gangs operating in Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) and adjoining states.

• The Home Minister directed the police to expedite the efforts to provide them a safe environment with a more professional and sensitive approach on the safety of women, children and senior citizens.

• The recently released NCRB report showed a 40% increase in crimes against women in Delhi, which is the highest among all metropolitan cities in the country.

Forensic mobile vans :

• As per the guidelines, in addition to Delhi Police's own mobile vehicles in all districts, one forensic mobile vehicle will be allotted to each district.

• This vehicle will provide on the spot scientific and forensic assistance to the investigating officers, if required.

• These vehicles will be equipped with scientific instruments.

• Forensic Mobile Vehicles will no longer be under the administrative control of the city police, but will act as an independent body and answerable to the court.

What is Forensic Science?

• Forensic science is the application of scientific methods or expertise to investigate crimes or to examine evidence to be presented in court.

• It is an important part of the criminal justice system.

• Document examination, DNA analysis, Electronic/digital media, Fingerprinting, Autopsy techniques, Engineering, Linguistics, Anthropology etc are the field of forensic science. 

• India's first Central Fingerprint Bureau was established in the year 1897 in Kolkata, which started functioning in the year 1904.

• The Center for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) has been set up in Hyderabad under the Department of Biotechnology.

• The National Forensic Science University was established by the Government of India in the year 2000 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.