Bhopal: Police Get Zone-Wise Forensic Science Laboratory Team To Boost Crime Scene Probe

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a bid to improve quality and speed of crime scene investigation, Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra has deployed separate Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams for all four zones of the Bhopal Police Commissionarate.

Earlier, only one FSL team was responsible for handling all crime scenes across the city, which proved inadequate in dealing with multiple cases simultaneously.

This often led to delays, hampering quality of investigation in serious cases like murders, suspicious deaths, rapes, thefts, loots and other heinous crimes. The overburdened team frequently had to rush between multiple crime spots in a single day, affecting thorough evidence collection and delaying essential police formalities.

Now, each zone will have its own dedicated FSL team, headed by a senior officer and equipped with advanced forensic tools and high-tech investigation kits. This structural upgrade is aimed at ensuring swift, scientific and effective collection of forensic evidence, ultimately helping police crack cases faster.

Police Commissioner Mishra said that instructions have been issued, and separate FSL teams will be operational soon. “This move will strengthen police investigations and enable early resolution of serious crimes,” he said.

Suicide case behind decision

The decision to deploy separate FSL teams comes after a recent high-profile case involving death of an elderly woman in Kolar area. Initially presumed a suicide based on preliminary police investigation, the post-mortem at Hamidia Hospital indicated sexual assault and murder. However, a second post-mortem conducted at AIIMS clarified that the woman had immolated herself.

Key forensic clues — including a matchbox of the same brand used by the deceased's family and burnt grass traces indicating the woman had run a distance after setting herself ablaze — played a crucial role in reaching this conclusion.