Need to facilitate responsive criminal justice system: Union Minister Rai

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Monday stressed the need to facilitate a modern, responsive criminal justice system in the country.

Speaking after inaugurating a state-of-the-art DNA analysis centre at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Chandigarh, he said: "All States and Union Territories should utilise this facility as well as set up similar facilities in their respective States for quick disposal of forensic cases referred to them. This will facilitate a modern, responsive criminal justice system."

The lab has been set up under the Nirbhaya Fund scheme, with an allocation of Rs 99.76 crore.

This centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities for sexual assault and homicide unit, paternity unit, human identification unit, and mitochondrial DNA unit.

Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS) has ensured that this centre is fully equipped with modern DNA Profiling tools and equipment. This advanced forensic DNA analysis facility has a capacity of examining 2000 cases per year.

He also requested that everyone should work towards creating a community where crimes against women are not tolerated and such cases should not take place in the first instance.

He also stated that specialised training in the collection of forensic evidence is being undertaken by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and more than 6000 personnel have been trained.

"The government has accorded highest priority to women safety in the country, and apart from introducing stringent penalties in law, several measures which have been initiated in this regard, include operationalisation of 112 universal emergency services in 28 States/UTs, commencement of 'Safe City' projects in eight large cities, and strengthening State Forensic Science Laboratories," said the minister.

He said that the MHA would be setting up Women Help Desks in all police stations and setting up Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts.

About 200 invitees including Directors of Central and State FSL from the entire country, senior police, judicial officers, professors, doctors from various universities, hospitals, senior officers from the scientific organisations participated in the event.