Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Nagpur Police to deploy forensic vans at crime scenes

An official stated, “Some commissionerates already had forensic vans, but there was a minor shortfall that will now be addressed. Mumbai Police Commissionerate has five regions, Nagpur Police has five zones, and Navi Mumbai Police has two zones. In total, 12 forensic vans will be operational for serious crime scenes.”

The central government has given states a five-year period to ensure all zones are equipped with forensic vehicles. “We are starting with these three commissionerates to test the system. Based on our observations, we will implement this phase-wise across the state,” the official explained.

He added that forensic experts from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) will man these vans, and the FSL’s staffing will be increased to meet the higher demand. Forensic officers will arrive at crime scenes with nearly five different testing kits and will work alongside the police to gather and test evidence on-site. Proper evidence collection is crucial, as improper evidence has led to the acquittal of accused individuals in several cases.

Although police officers have been trained in evidence gathering, lapses can occur. By involving forensic experts directly at crime scenes, the police hope to improve the conviction rate.