Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated a forensic science laboratory in Hubballi on Sunday.
The hi-tech laboratory set up at a cost of ₹4.5 crore, will analyse samples of material and provide evidence to help solve crime, he said.
It has wings that will look into DNA, Cyber Crime, audio-video clips, mobile forensics and physics. The State Government will also set up a narcotics wing in two-three months, the Chief Minister said.
He asked the Forensics Department to provide regular training to officers and personnel to adopt more technology-based tools in investigation of crime.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi urged the Chief Minister to upgrade the Hubballi laboratory to the level of the national level FSL laboratory in Hyderabad. He promised to provide hi-tech equipment to the laboratory under the Nirbhaya Fund, if the State Government were to provide land for the laboratory.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said that the Government will provide equipment to all FSL laboratories in the State at a cost of ₹48 crore. The Police Department has appointed 450 scientific officers and 206 scene-of-crime officers to help speed up investigation and make it more scientifically accurate, he said.
Director-General and Inspector-General of Police Praveen Sood said that the North Karnataka laboratory will take off at least 40% of the load from the Police Department’s main laboratory in Bengaluru. He added that it will be managed by nine officers and other staff.
