Forensic experts at crime scenes will speed testing process: Maharashtra Director General (Legal & Technical) Sanjay Kumar Verma

Q. The Maharashtra Government approved your department’s proposal for upgrading forensic infrastructure considering the new laws. Can you tell us about it?

Sanjay Kumar Verma: We had sought approval for 260 forensic vans that would be used across the state. In urban areas, a forensic van would be available to every DCP, while in rural areas, the sub-divisional police officer would get a vehicle. We also sought the hiring of 2,200 people across the state. Initially, we will offer contracts to the recruits, and later posts will be created.

Q. What would these vehicles have?

Verma: These vans would be equipped with the latest cyber, forensic, and other kits to help forensic officers gather evidence from crime scenes. The vans will have a driver, an attendant, and two scientific officers trained in gathering evidence. They will be available on call for the police.

Q. Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL) have been plagued with high pendency. Will this add to the pendency?

Verma: These are two separate issues. When it comes to pendency, especially cyber pendency, we have come up with a plan. Electronics like mobiles will be processed by our processors continuously even during the weekends and public holidays so that the work which does not require human presence does not stop. This will hasten the process three times as compared to the past. When it comes to other departments, we are hiring nearly 100 more people on contract to increase the manpower.

As far as the new law is concerned, it will hasten the process of sending reports as our forensic scientists will be aware of what evidence to collect from the crime scene. In the past, the police would send a lot of exhibits, some of which were not required and that would overwhelm the system. Now that will change and the system will become more efficient in helping conviction.

Q. Is the FSL capable of dealing with new advanced cyber threats?

Verma: We are coming up with a centre of excellence in Pune where challenges from all forensic fields including malware to cryptocurrency to drone forensics will be addressed. Those cases that cannot be solved by the 13 FSL laboratories will be sent to this centre. It should be up and running in the next two to three months. In the next couple of months, Maharashtra will have the most advanced forensic system in the country.