Mysore/Mysuru: Forensic Science Labs (FSLs) and their advanced techniques are increasingly instrumental in solving disputes, murders and civic or criminal complaints, said S.K. Krishna Raju, Retired Deputy Director of the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Police Department.

He shared these insights during a recent lecture organised by the Elder Citizens Council in Jayalakshmipuram here.

Krishna Raju, who has extensive experience working in Forensic Labs and DNA centres in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Davanagere and Mysuru, highlighted the significant role forensic reports play in aiding Police investigations and Court judgements in India. He has also served as Hon. lecturer at Police Academy and as a lecturer at Mysore University for PG students in Forensic Science.

FSLs in India date back to 1957, when the first lab was established in Kolkata. With the rise in crime rates and increasing complexity of criminal cases, the Police and Courts increasingly rely on forensic reports to uncover truth and ensure accurate judgments, he noted.

These reports are crucial in providing convincing evidence, thereby preventing punishment of innocent individuals. Forensic Department operates round-the- clock, taking the lead in crime investigations as a responsible and essential entity, he added.

Tests and applications

Krishna Raju elaborated on various forensic tests and their applications in crime investigations including DNA analysis that determines disputed blood relationships, lie detection and forensic psychology that uncovers the truth from suspects through psychological evaluation and brain mapping and narco analysis that extracts information from the subconscious mind through injections and repeated questioning.

He also dealt with handwriting analysis that assesses death notes, threatening letters and forgery cases, counterfeit detection, fingerprint analysis that establishes the cause of death in murder cases and detects poisoning attempts through diatom tests, hit and run cases, voice analysis, LTM Impressions verification that checks authenticity in property transfer complaints.

Due to the forensic labs’ commitment to accuracy, Police and Courts heavily depend on their reports. Decisions in many cases hinge on the forensic evidence presented, underscoring the importance of these labs in the justice system. Krishna Raju emphasised the need for public awareness about FSL activities to expedite crime resolution in Courts.

The lecture programme was presided over by Dr. H.M. Nagaraju, President of the Council. Trust Chairman Gowdappa, Secretary K.S. Krishna, Sridhar, H.B. Srikantaiah, Basavaraju, G.H. Anandaram, R.B. Satish, Chidananda, K.V. Ramanath, V.N. Achar and Jayapal Latha were present.