Forensic labs working with half the staff strength

Parveen Arora

An acute shortage of regular staff is affecting the working of the Haryana Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Madhuban in Karnal district and two of its Regional Forensic Science Laboratories (RFSLs) at Bhondsi (Gurugram), and Sunaria (Rohtak). Besides, the staff crunch has also increased the workload of existing employees, both scientific and non-scientific. 

The situation can be gauged from the fact that the laboratories are functioning with only 50 per cent of the sanctioned staff strength for the last few years. The absence of key reporting officers and supporting scientists, who conduct tests and are authorised to sign reports, is affecting the examination work.

The post of permanent Director at the Madhuban laboratory is also lying vacant for the last more than two years. ADGP Shrikant Jadhav has been given its additional charge. Two posts of deputy director, two of assistant director (one each in biology and DNA divisions), 22 posts of senior scientific officer (one post each in biology, cyber, NDPS, and explosive divisions; two each in DNA, ballistics, chemistry, and toxicology divisions; four in documents division and six posts in psychology and lie-detection wings) are lying vacant.

The Madhuban laboratory also has a shortage of 31 senior scientific assistants as at present only 13 assistants are working against 44 sanctioned posts. As many as 26 posts of scientific assistant, 16 of laboratory assistant, one of dark room attendant and 42 of Class IV are vacant.

The situation is almost the same in the RFSLs at Bhondsi and Sunaria. The Bhondsi laboratory is awaiting the posting of senior scientific officers in the biology, toxicology, NDPS and documents divisions. Three posts of senior scientific assistant (one each in NDPS, toxicology and documents divisions), four posts of scientific assistant (one each in documents, toxicology, NDPS and biology divisions), and four posts of laboratory assistant (one each in document, toxicology, NDPS and biology divisions) are yet to be filled. Besides, all seven  Class IV posts of lab attendant, viscera cutter, sweeper and peon are vacant.

The Sunaria laboratory also does not have senior scientific officers in toxicology and documents divisions. Three posts of senior scientific assistant (one each in documents, toxicology and NDPS divisions), four posts of scientific assistant (one each in biology, toxicology, NDPS and documents divisions), and four posts of laboratory assistant (one each in biology, documents, toxicology and NDPS divisions) are vacant. All seven posts of lab attendant, viscera cutter, sweeper and peon are also vacant.

“There were 13,309 pending cases around a year ago. Courts were pressing hard for quick availability of reports, but reeling under an acute shortage of reporting and assisting technical staff it seemed an impossible task. I consulted all divisions and a strategy was chalked out to start a special drive with fixed minimum targets for time-bound delivery of reports. The combined efforts started showing results, and gradually the disposal of cases increased and pendency started coming down,” says Jadhav. “Every month, we honour scientists and technical staff, who perform well,” he adds. 

He says that due to the staff shortage, existing scientific and technical staff members have to work extra time to reduce the pendency of cases. The cases related to documents, toxicology and NDPS divisions, which have the maximum staff shortage, are piling up.

“We are facing problems in dealing with evidences related to documents, toxicology and NDPS divisions, as we do not have enough scientists to investigate documents. We have fixed a target of bringing down the pendency of cases to zero in most of the divisions by July,” says Jadhav.

“We have also sent a requisition to the state government to fill vacancies, as some posts are to be filled by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), some by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) and some by promotion,” he adds.

Two regional labs in Panchkula, Hisar to be operational soon

• Haryana will get two more regional forensic labs — in Hisar and at Moginand in Panchkula. Jadhav says that both laboratories will be functional once the staff is appointed. These will also help in quick reporting of evidences. The buildings and other infrastructure of both labs are ready, he adds.
• The director says that they have been making efforts to strengthen and modernise mobile forensic units at the district level. At present, most of the district mobile forensic science units have old vehicles. 
• All districts will be provided new modern vehicles with latest kits, and gadgets to strengthen the collection of evidences from the crime scene and timely compilation of crime scene investigation reports. 

Strategy to reduce pendency of cases bears results 

• The existing staff members at the laboratories have brought down the number of pending cases from 13,309 last year to 5,173 till May 14 by working extra time as well as on holidays.
• Shrikant Jadhav, Director, FSL, Madhuban, has initiated a healthy competition among the staff members of completing tests and preparing reports in a time-bound manner. 
• The best performing scientists and technical staff members are being honoured every month. Of the 5,173 pending cases in all laboratories, 4,797 are at Madhuban, 303 at Bhondsi and 73 at Sunaria. 

Special drive for time-bound delivery of reports

There were 13,309 pending cases around a year ago. Courts were pressing hard for quick availability of reports, but reeling under an acute shortage of reporting and assisting technical staff it seemed an impossible task. I consulted all divisions and a strategy was chalked out to start a special drive with fixed minimum targets for time-bound delivery of reports. The combined efforts started showing results, and gradually the disposal of cases increased and pendency started coming down.—  Shrikant Jadhav, ADGP and in-charge of Forensic Science Laboratory, Madhuban