Pendency in cases at Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is unacceptable, Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena told officials here on Wednesday.
Directing officials to take steps to tide over the nearly 20,000 pending cases at the FSL, Mr. Saxena demanded a list of cases along with their expected date of disposal which he would personally monitor.
He also directed the officials to take necessary action in terms of manpower and technological upgradation for disposal of cases in a time-bound manner,” Raj Niwas said.
The L-G also took exception to various technical posts lying vacant and issued strict instructions to fill them at the earliest. He was reviewing the functioning and progress of work undertaken by the FSL with senior government officials.
In the meantime, Mr. Saxena said, retired technical personnel from similar agencies and organisations should be re-employed immediately as an interim and temporary measure to ensure that pending cases are disposed and reported.
“He urged the FSL to look at itself from a different perspective of not just being another government department but as an agency upon which, not only the delivery of justice, but thousands of lives depended as well,” Raj Niwas stated.
“Reiterating that they will have to undertake work of disposing cases on a war-footing, the L-G told the officials to rise up to their responsibility and ensure that human lives whose future depended on the evidence provided by them are not short-changed,” it stated.
The L-G directed that all SOPs and processes be meticulously followed and technology-enabled automated systems that minimised human interface be put in place.
Mr. Saxena was informed that much delay occurs because final reports are not being received from the police in relation to which he assured that he will take up the matter and get it sorted at the earliest in his meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner.
“Mr. Saxena issued instructions to develop training modules for police personnel at various levels and serve as a centre for providing quality internship to students of forensic sciences from different universities and institutions across the country,” Raj Niwas said.
He also advised the authorities to tie-up with institutions of repute like IIT-Delhi and the National Forensic Science University, Ahmedabad amongst others.
“This, he said would not only help FSL, Delhi, emerge as a repository with quality but would also help it gain from the latest technical expertise required in dealing with cases involving cyber forensics,” Raj Niwas added.
