The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Private forensic labs suggested

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Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Private forensic labs suggested

Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD: Autonomous or private forensic science laboratories are the need of the hour but they should be run by non-profit organisations, opines retired IPS officer C. Anjaneya Reddy. He was sharing his ideas at a national seminar on ‘the need for independent forensic laboratories in India’ organised by Crime Stoppers Foundation India (CSFI) in association with the Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday.

Mr. Reddy said that during his service he thought the forensic laboratory should not be part of the Police Department. “Now I feel it should not even be under the Home Department,” he felt. Already, people were losing faith in the investigating agencies since the latter were failing to ensure conviction to the accused in sensational cases. The former police officer said the complainant should have a right to take opinion of more than one forensic expert if he was not satisfied about the standards adopted for examination. In case of two conflicting opinions, the person must be given a choice to seek opinion of third expert to make sure that truth would come out.

Padma Bhushan Palle Rama Rao, former Secretary (Science and Technology, Government of India), said the Administrative Staff College of India and the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute were good examples of private organisations successfully serving society without the support of government. Models of these two organisations could be emulated by private forensic science laboratories.

Padma Bhushan M. P. Chandrashekharan, former Director of Tamil Nadu Forensic Science Department, said efforts should be made to prepare a list of neutral forensic science and medicine experts and it should be given to the judicial officers to seek opinions in different cases. Another retired IPS officer Kamal Kumar said the Central and State forensic laboratories in the country were not up to the mark. K.P.C. Gandhi, founder president of CFSI, said private forensic science laboratories could meet the requirements of non-litigious cases.

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