Police seek appointment of sr IPS officer as FSL chief

Thiruvananthapuram: The state police have recommended the government to appoint a police officer of the rank of IG as director of state forensic science laboratory (FSL), as the incumbent director has opted for voluntary retirement. The police cited “best interests of the department” for recommending a police official or a fresh outsider, instead of the officer awaiting promotion to the post, in accordance with existing rules.
State police chief Loknath Behera has written to additional chief secretary (home and vigilance) T K Jose (on July 9 this year) that the next senior-most joint director, who is to be promoted as per existing rules, is not experienced to hold a key post like director of FSL. “But as per existing special rules, she will be promoted and it may not be in the interest of the department. Now, it is also ascertained that she has expressed unwillingness to get promoted to the post of director and be stayed in the headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram,” Behera said in his letter to the home secretary.
To substantiate its recommendation to post a police officer, the state police chief has said that in many states, police officers are administering FSLs, and the performance of such FSLs are par excellent. “They only do the administrative work and they do not interfere or intervene in scientific works conducted by the scientific officers. There is no legal bar on this kind of arrangement except special rules,” Behera’s letter said.
The recommendation from the police assumes importance in the wake of FSL report last week on the killing of Maoist C P Jaleel (on March 6, 2019, at Vythiri in Wayanad) going against the police. The FSL has said that there was no sign of firing from the barrel of the country-made weapon detected from the site. The FSL report had also pointed out that there were no lead samples on the right hand of the slain Maoist, both of which were cited by the relatives and supporters of Jaleel to justify that he was killed in a unilateral firing by the police.
Sources said that recommendations made regarding appointment of a police officer as FSL director is grossly unjustified. “Under sections 293 and 294 of CrPC, the reports of experts are accepted by the courts without even examining them. So the institution like FSL will have to be headed by a scientific expert, and not a police official so as to maintain the autonomy and credibility of the organization,” former law secretary B G Harindranath said.
Though the incumbent director seeking VRS was the reason for triggering a debate on appointing a senior IPS officer as FSL head, it is learnt that the FSL director won’t press for VRS. “In fact, the director has written to senior officials expressing interest to withdraw the VRS application,” said a source.