Pune

Satara

Sangli

Solapur

Kolhapur

Ratnagiri

Dr M K Malve

DNA analysis

Jayant Naiknawre

DNA TESTING

After a two-year fight with red tapism, the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL),, finally has a DNA testing facility of its own. Police officials from seven districts — Pune,and Sindhudurg — have been asked to send samples there instead of FSL in Mumbai.Mirror had published a report on the upcoming lab - DNA facility to speed up conviction — on June 27, 2014.Cleared by the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories, Maharashtra back in 2012, the new unit, which cost the government about Rs 3 crore, will reduce the burden on the FSL in Kalina by over 2,000 cases.Maharashtra has six FSLs spread across Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik and Amravati. However, the DNA testing facility is available only in Mumbai and Nagpur.The Nagpur FSL tackles samples from districts in eastern Maharashtra, while the rest of the districts send their samples to Kalina FSL.The DNA testing lab in Pune was inaugurated on October 31 by, director of State Forensic Science Laboratories and a chemical analyser working with the government. The FSL has been operational since 1978 and has four departments — prohibition, biology, general analytical and instrumental and toxicology. Unforunately, its staff strength remains skeletal, thus leaving it with a backlog of about 1,000 cases.“This lab is expected to assist in over 2,000 cases per year. It is fully functional with all equipment and trained manpower,” Malve said.According to police officials, courts nowadays are heavily dependent on forensic evidence such as DNA reports for convicting accused. Additional director general of police S P Yadav, who is also chief of the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department, said, “Earlier, courts did not give much importance to forensic evidence, but now, judges take it much more seriously .”Speaking to Mirror, Dr Sangeeta Ghumatkar, deputy director in-charge of Pune FSL, said, “DNA tests are the preferred forensic examination as they can accurately pinpoint the person or the accused. In criminal cases, we have seen that the accused tries to destroy evidence, but forensic experts collect samples and theirnail the culprit.”Ghumatkar added, “DNA analysis becomes even more crucial in cases of rape of minor girls or blind women as they are unable to identify the perpetrator. We can deal with such sensitive cases now.”Police officials confirmed that the new DNA testing facility will give early reports. “The charge sheet can be filed within 15 days provided the lab submits its findings on time. But if the laboratory fails to submit its findings within a stipulated period, the entire exercise will be futile," said a senior police official.When contacted, DCP (crime )told Mirror, “Trials are hindered by the backlog of cases . The new facility will speed up the investigation process. We have already asked police officers to send DNA samples to the Pune FSL. The samples are collected by experts as well as doctors at the hospital.”Forensic DNA analysis takes advantage of the uniqueness of an individual’s DNA to establish forensic evidence such as paternity or maternity testing, placing a suspect at a crime scene like murder, rape, blast and in ascertaining identities of crime victims. The DNA test becomes crucial in many criminal cases and disputes over heredity. DNA testing has enabled several criminal convictions, thereby increasing confidence that the right people have been convicted, and also giving insight into unsolved crimes