The state government has decided to set up 21 new forensic units in different police districts and government railway police (GRP) stations to expedite investigation in various cases.
At present, the state has three regional forensic science laboratories at Sambalpur, Berhampur and Balasore beside 15 laboratories in each undivided police district headquarter.
“We will soon decide whether we will go for full-fledged district forensic science laboratories or mobile forensic units in 19 police districts and two GRP districts,” a senior police officer said. “We would open these units for speedy completion of investigation. Inadequate infrastructure and manpower are delaying chemical examination at the existing forensic laboratories in the state,” he added.
While the district and regional forensic units carry out chemical examinations of physical clues in trivial crimes, the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) in Bhubaneswar tackles major cases. SFSL undertakes examinations in seven specialized divisions – physics, ballistics, chemistry, toxicology, biology, serology and lie detection.
Sources said the SFSL and its three regional units examined a total of 5,354 cases out of the 43,515 exhibits received from across the state in 2011. The four units had examined 5,135 and 4,551 cases in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
The government imparts training to police personnel, judicial officers and medical students at Biju Patnaik State Police Academy in Bhubaneswar and Police Training College in Angul for better utilization of scientific evidences in crime investigation.
