State Forensics Science lab in Dimapur revamped

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Sep. 26: The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for Nagaland, which will engage imaging and forensics analysis and investigative functions, has a new building. The new building will be inaugurated on Thursday, Sep. 27.

The FSL is located at Kachari Gaon in Dimapur. The laboratory is led by a deputy joint director, Tiajungba Longchar. The laboratory is equipped to deal with cases pertaining to finger prints, photography; narcotics; questionable documents; and even undertake enforcement investigation facilities such as polygraph tests. It collects, examines, analyses, and reports on physical evidence submitted by any governmental agency investigating a criminal offense.

During an interaction with Eastern Mirror, the deputy superintendent of police, fingerprint expert, Pfokreni Chalai said that there were currently three full-fledged divisions: a fingerprint division, a photography division, and a narcotics division.

The officer told this reporter that the polygraph and document verification units are yet to attain their full status although it still functions. “Opinions based on preliminary test can be given but will not be admitted in the court of law,” he said. He assured that that it shall soon have a full status. He said that biology, chemistry, and a serology division, shall soon be introduced in the laboratory.

Some of the information about the functions and procedures of investigation performed by the three divisions of the laboratory:

Fingerprint

Led by Chalai, the examination of fingerprints, both visible and latent, left behind from the friction ridge on human skin, weapons, or other objects, are conducted inside the laboratory in this division. Many methods are used to visualise prints including physical, chemical, and through various light sources, allowing them to be photographed and compared with.

According to Chalai, the law governing fingerprint falls under section-3 to the 6th of the ‘Identification of Prisoners Act 1920.’ He said that the district police stations send fingerprints of arrested person as well as convicted persons to the FSL. Proper fingerprints are selected whereas improper fingerprint are rejected and sent back to the district police station for more analysis.

The proper fingerprints are classified and recorded in a device known as automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) or as archive.  The AFIS is a biometric identification methodology that uses digital imaging technology to obtain, store, and analyse fingerprint data.

Further, two copies of the developed fingerprint data are made—one for National Crime Record, Delhi, and one for the state’s FSL.

Based on the recorded fingerprint, the investigative departments in concern can trace suspects, criminals, or fugitives, located in any part of the world. For every crime, the police requisition the state FSL to visit the crime scene and help the investigative officer.

“It is fixed evidence. If the experts say that it is his or her finger, the court will accept it gladly without any doubt. Fingerprint is 100% accurate,” he affirmed while asserting that fingerprint plays the most important role for solving crimes in Nagaland.

Photography

Photography in FSL is an activity that records the initial appearance of the crime scene and physical evidence, in order to provide a permanent record for the courts. Anything found at a crime scene can be physical evidence. The division is headed by Inspector Ketuozhole Mezhu.

Visible evidence such as tools, footprints, weapons, or any other object in and around the scene, are captured and used to verify a crime.

Law concerning photography falls under sections 65-A and 65-B of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Narcotics

In forensic field, narcotics is dependent on a multitude of methods and tests to not only collect evidence but also to determine physical and chemical properties of the evidence. In India, it falls under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. It is being led by assistant section officer, Avil Niekha.

It was informed that in the FSL, the narcotics division only deals with cases pertaining to cannabis.