NCJ Number
46000
Journal
International Criminal Police Review Volume: 32 Issue: 311 Dated: (OCTOBER 1977) Pages: 247-252
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCE WORK IN MAHARASHTRA IS PRESENTED, WITH A VIEW TOWARD IMPROVING POLICE UTILIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES, BOTH QUALITATIVELY AND QUANTITATIVELY.
Abstract
THE FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORIES IN MAHARASHTRA ARE THE LARGEST IN INDIA. THERE ARE 71 SCIENTISTS AND 82 TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS WORKING IN THE LABORATORY, AND THEY HAVE TRAINED APPROXIMATELY 2,000 POLICE INVESTIGATORS. THE CASES WHICH THIS LABORATORY RECEIVES PRIMARILY INVOLVE ILLICIT DISTILLATION CASES, BLOOD-ALCOHOL CONTENT, AND POSSESSION OF NARCOTICS. A SIMILAR LABORATORY IN GREAT BRITAIN, SERVING THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE, (EXCEPT THAT BRITAIN IS A DEVELOPED COUNTRY AND INDIA IS NOT), DEALS MOSTLY WITH CASES OF DRINKING AND DRIVING AND WITH DRUG OFFENSES. TOXICOLOGICAL WORK IS THE NEXT MOST COMMON IN MAHARASHTRA, BUT IN BRITAIN, MOST OF THIS TYPE OF WORK IS DONE IN THE HOSPITALS. THERE IS LITTLE LABORATORY ASSISTANCE FOR PROPERTY OFFENSES AND ROAD ACCIDENTS. THIS DIFFERS FROM THE STATISTICS FOR THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN. SOME OF THE REMEDIAL MEASURES SUGGESTED IN THIS INCLUDE IMPROVED METHODS OF SEARCHING FOR CLUES AT THE CRIME SCENE, LABORATORY RESPONSE TO MATCH THE DEMAND, MORE TRAINED CRIMINALISTS, MORE ATTENTION TO NONINDEX CRIMES OR MORE EMPHASIS ON PHYSICAL EVIDENCE MATERIAL THAN ON STATUTORY TESTS SUCH AS DRUGS AND BLOOD-ALCOHOL. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND TABULAR DATA ON THE TYPES OF LABORATORY WORK ARE PROVIDED.