In solving crimes, very little of forensics is used in India with a meagre five per cent of cases being referred to a forensic science laboratory for analysis. This is against a referral rate of around 20 per cent in developed countries.
This huge gap gets directly reflected in the dissatisfaction and frustration among the seekers of justice, says K.P.C. Gandhi, former Director of A.P. Forensic Science Laboratories (APFSL) and Chairman of Truth Labs.
It is here, his outfit has been striving to step in. Truth Labs, the only full-fledged independent forensic lab in the country, completes five years this October. In these five years, more than 5,000 cases were examined and reports given. From across the country, it has worked on paternity disputes, obscene and defamation mails, embezzlements apart from bank and insurance frauds.
World over, reliance on eyewitness and oral evidence has been dwindling and more dependence is put on scientific and technological evidence. Yet, the usage of forensics has been very limited in the country. “Truth Labs is a small and humble effort to fill a very small gap in the wide chasm that exists in usage of scientific evidence to solve crimes,” says Dr. Gandhi.
Equipped to handle wide ranging investigations and analysis, the lab is staffed, supported and guided by very senior and eminent professionals from the related fields. Reports are delivered in seven days and such credibility came to be associated with its evidences that courts take cognisance of them.
“More than 1,500 courts in the country including High Courts have directly referred cases to us and more than 500 cases were brought to us by the police, CBI, NIA and CRPF,” he says.
That apart, in several cases, the reports generated by other labs were sent for a reconfirmation. “In some of these cases, our opinion was found to be more acceptable,” says Dr. Gandhi.
With branches in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, Truth Labs also covers crime scene and the service is being sought after by corporates who are not keen on police being seen on their premises.
Corporates have also been approaching it for pre-employment screening and post-employment loyalty checks.
