On the verge of closure

10/12/2017

The FSL, which is the sole provider of forensic and advisory services to the law enforcement agencies on varied subjects, has been rendered as dumping yard for those cops who don't have any technical expertise but are enjoying good relations with the senior police officers. Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that Jammu and Kashmir Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) will face closure in next two years because of absolute non-seriousness on the part of all the concerned authorities particularly the Home Department and Director General of Police, who otherwise are supposed to play key role not only in its modernization but also making available sufficient and competent manpower. Though forensic science throughout the world has undergone sea change and gained tremendous importance in justice delivery system yet in Jammu and Kashmir it is being completely ignored due to the callous attitude of the concerned authorities. This can be gauged from the fact that 18 posts of Assistant Scientific Officers, six posts of Deputy Directors and one post of Joint Director have been lying vacant during the past quite long time. Moreover, half of the available staff has been drawn from various police wings and more so from armed wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and they don't have any expertise to handle any sort of technical task in the Forensic Science Laboratory.
Moreover, the posts of biology, finger print and explosive experts are lying vacant in Jammu unit of FSL during the past quite long time despite the fact that urgency to fill these posts are projected before all the concerned authorities including Home Secretary and Director General of Police", sources said while disclosing that the post of explosive expert had fallen vacant in 2012 while as that of finger print expert in 2014. Similarly, biology expert attained superannuation in January this year. In the absence of these experts, the Jammu unit of FSL is compelled to send the material to the Srinagar unit for analysis and opinion, which leads to delay in completion of investigation and justice delivery system and non-availabilityof these experts is mainly impacting the investigation in rape and murder cases. There is absolutely no focus on filling the posts lying vacant every year but on the other side non-technical police officials are being deployed in the FSL just to give an impression that there is no dearth of manpower and majority of the cops deployed in the laboratory both in Jammu and Srinagar don't have any technical expertise to work in the FSL.

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