Cops, hospitals to get rape kits in one month

CHANDIGARH: Rape kits to be used for collection of evidence and other proof from the crime scene will be distributed in all police stations and hospitals of the country in one month. This evidence will be sent to the forensic laboratory. The kits have been developed in compliance with guidelines issued by the Central Forensic Scientific Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh.

The kits will play an instrumental role in investigation of rape cases as evidence based on DNA cannot be manipulated. Laying the foundation stone of the Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory in Chandigarh on Friday, minister for women and child development Maneka Gandhi said, “Each police station and hospital of country would be given rape kits within one month. For this, validation will start from Chandigarh CFSL as guidelines and module has been designed by them.”

In many cases, she said, investigation officers do not know how to collect evidence from the crime scene, which is why many cases fall flat. These rape kits will facilitate investigation officers with collection, storage and transportation of DNA samples from the crime scene, she explained.

The rape kits will also have guidelines for medical officers on collecting evidence to be sent to forensic labs. Dr S K Jain, director, CFSL said there will be two separate kits for investigating officers and medical officers.

The Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory will be located on the CFSL campus. The new facility is expected to increase the capacity of the lab from the current 150 cases per year to 2,000 cases per year. This will help reduce the backlog of cases in which forensic DNA analysis is pending and plug the gap in the northern region, which is said to have the highest pendency of such cases.

Funds worth Rs 99.76 crore have been allocated from the Nirbhaya Fund to the ministry of home affairs for the laboratory. The project is likely to be completed by the end of this year. The sexual assault and homicide unit of the Sakhi Suraksha Advanced DNA Forensic Laboratory will be made operational on priority. Besides the sexual assault and homicide unit, the laboratory will have the paternity unit, human identification unit and mitochondrial unit.

Emphasising the need for scientific investigation of crimes, Menaka Gandhi said spiralling cases crime against women and children have necessitated scientific analysis of physical evidence in such cases.

As per data collected form 23 labs across the country, 20,000 new cases of sexual assault are received for forensic analysis annually.