Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 05 March 2024
In a significant stride towards modernising forensic procedures and bolstering the investigative capabilities of law enforcement, the Director General of Police, Mr. Devesh Chandra Srivastva, IPS, inaugurated the e-Forensics Portal. This portal facilitates the seamless upload and download of digitally signed electronic Forensic Examination Reports, in compliance with new legislation.
Attended by senior police officials, including all Deputy Inspector Generals of Police, Superintendents of Police, Deputy Superintendents of Police, and the Assistant Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the inauguration ceremony marked a pivotal moment in the region’s forensic capabilities.
The Forensic Science Laboratory, Port Blair, established in 2003, has been actively involved in conducting forensic examinations across various crime cases, including Toxicology, NDPS, Excise, Trap, Petroleum products, and General chemistry. Currently, the establishment of two new wings, DNA Profiling Laboratory, and Cyber Laboratory, is underway to further enhance forensic capabilities.
Responding to the evolving landscape of digital investigations and the enactment of three new criminal laws aimed at enhancing digital security and digitisation of crime investigation processes, the implementation of the report and download feature in the e-Forensics Portal has been completed under the guidance of the Director General of Police, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
During the inauguration event, Mr. Devesh Chandra Srivastva highlighted that Andaman & Nicobar Islands is the first Union Territory in the country to implement e-forensics, marking a significant step towards going paperless in forensic procedures. He also noted that the region stands second after Mizoram in adopting this feature of the e-Forensics Portal.
The Director General emphasised that the implementation of the e-Forensics Portal is expected to streamline the investigative process, making it more transparent and aligned with the demands of digital forensics in a rapidly changing technological landscape. By reducing the time required for information exchange between authorities and the Forensic Science Laboratory, the portal is set to enhance efficiency.
Furthermore, Mr. Devesh Chandra Srivastva stressed the need for strengthening forensic facilities by establishing additional divisions such as Ballistics, Physics, and Document examination. He also emphasised extending forensic facilities to every island of Andaman & Nicobar by procuring Mobile Forensic vans and boats, ensuring evidence collection in remote areas.
In conclusion, the Director General applauded the efforts of the SP (CID), Dy.SP (CID) and AD of FSL for their contributions to the successful implementation of the e-Forensics Portal. He also mentioned that the proposal for notification of digitally signed FSL reports’ admission in the court of law is under process and is likely to be issued by the competent authority soon.