Punjab: FSL ex-director booked under SC, ST Act

The police here have booked Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Punjab, former director Dr Ashwani Kalia under the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after a female employee alleged objectionable and casteist slur by him on January 3.Complainant Sandeep Kaur, assistant director (physics/audio) FSL, Punjab, also alleged that Kalia was pressuring her to hand over the file and case exhibits of a 2022 high-profile case, registered at the Phase-8 police station against a former minister with mala fide intentions."Kalia is bent upon to change the final report by illegally interfering and forging my official seals already registered on the parcels," the complaint read, adding that he had demanded the access to the stamps and seals of the Physics Department earlier also, raising serious concerns regarding the integrity of the case custody.The complainant has also informed the Admin Secretary, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Punjab, regarding the concerns.

On January 3, 2025, around 9.25am, Kalia reportedly sought seals and stamps of the Physics Department, the complainant requested her to sit and discuss the need for the seals and stamps, but Kalia, all of a sudden, said objectionable and caste-related words in front of her subordinates and threatened to get her fired from Admin Secretary, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, Punjab, by writing an adverse report. Kaur also alleged that the FSL director is exploiting and snubbing her as she is from a Scheduled Caste.

A case under the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered at the Phase-1 police station on August 14. An inquiry report was submitted by the IGP (Provisioning) to Director, Bureau of Investigation (BOI) on July 28.

Kalia had retired on June 30 this year.