NFSA demands fully functional Forensic Laboratory in Nagaland

DIMAPUR, JAN 21 (NPN) : Days after Nagaland Post had highlighted the need for a fully operational Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Nagaland, vital for crime investigation especially seen in the light of the delay in report of SIT on Oting massacre, the Nagaland Forensic Science Association (NFSA) has come out to voice the need for a fully operational FSL, especially in the interest of ensuring justice in the Oting incident.

It may be recalled that the SIT report on Oting massacre is being delayed unduly for want of FSL report on analysis of material evidence collected at the massacre sites at Oting. The analysis are being done at FSLs at Guwahati and Hyderabad.

NFSA president Rito Chophi and general secretary Avibunuo Wezah emphasised that, in the light of increasing crimes, Nagaland is in dire need of a fully operational, independent and upgraded FSL (to analyse material evidences) manned with qualified forensic experts as in other north eastern states.

NFSA maintained that Nagaland has been sleeping on this issue for far too long and said it was time to wake up and take quick and necessary action. The Association also pointed out that many states in the region had improved forensic equipment and were making rapid advances in the field.

While expressing serious concern over rising criminal cases and huge pending court cases, leading to delay in delivery of justice, NFSA pointed out that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had allocated Rs 1,03,802 crore (from the Union Budget 2021-2022 of Rs 1.66 lakh crore) for strengthening police forces and allied organisations. NFSA also said the recently-announced National Forensic Science University and Rashtriya Raksha University had been allocated Rs 60 and Rs 70 crore each, reflecting the Centre’s commitment to train forensic students to tackle crimes.

It informed that forensic evidence in a court helps prove commitment of a crime, establishes its key elements, provides link between the question entities, identifies an individual, exonerates the innocent and aid in corroborating a victim’s testimony. The Association also said a judge or jury was more like inclined with a side that presents compelling evidence to prove a party’s guilt or innocence as “facts do not lie but man can”.

NFSA said a PIL recently filed before Supreme Court sought directions on the Centre to use forensic techniques to improve investigation. It said the petitioners even sought directions to States to make urgent appointment of forensic experts in every district and at least appoint one forensic expert in each police station.

NFSA therefore said Nagaland “should align itself with the trend, direction and move along with other States.”

It further noted that Nagaland continues to send evidence for analysis to FSLs in other neighbouring States like Assam. It said due to the fact that labs give priority to their own states, Nagaland always got the least priority. NFSA said sending evidences for analysis to other FSLs was a waste of time and money.

It also pointed out that certain biological evidence degraded overtime and so, if evidence was not collected, handled or stored properly, its integrity could be questioned. This was one reason why many cases in Nagaland were lost on account of this.

Hence, NFSA strongly demanded that qualified forensic experts and upgradation of current FSL (in Dimapur) is a necessity so that evidence in the crime scenescould be properly collected and analysed quickly. It also said that lab reports could be generated in one place within a short time.

NFSA said Nagaland has one FSL building at Kacharigon, it was however not fully functional due to lack of important departments like Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology, Forensic Ballistic, etc, and equipments that are required at a forensic lab for analysis and report making.

Highlighting the Oting case, NFSA said this important case demands that culprits be brought to justice. In Oting incident which fell under ambush-type cases, NFSA said the expected examination of evidence involves an analysis of firearm evidences using a comparison microscope of controlled and questioned sample, cone fractures in vehicular window pane, possible skid marks in case of a moving vehicle that was abruptly stopped and medicolegal evidence determining range of fire, etc. NFSA said delays even in critical and time-sensitive cases like Oting, only lead one to imagine the delay of justice in other crime cases of Nagaland.

It further mentioned that unless the State came up with an independent FSL, justice would always be delayed or the efforts of SIT to submit timely report would come to no fruition.

NFSA said it was formed in 2018 by a group of graduates with specialized knowledge of forensic science after being concerned with the forensic scenario in the state approached the authorities to make recruitment urgently and also set up a fully functional forensic lab but regretted poor response.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/nfsa-demands-fully-functional-forensic-laboratory-in-nagaland/248864.html