UP forensic institute to develop mobile app to assist state police in investigation

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science (UPSIFS) will develop a mobile application to assist the state police officers on the field in their investigation, an official said.

The mobile application will help Investigation Officers (IOs), particularly in the initial phase of the probe when preservation of crime scenes and protection of evidence from tempering is needed the most.

“The mobile application will have a user-friendly interface to assist the IOs in their investigations. Necessary steps needed in a particular crime will be given in the app to guide them,” said Additional Director General (ADG) GK Goswami, the director of the UPSIFS.

The information collected through the application will be stored and even linked with the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS).

ICJS is a national platform for enabling integration of the main IT system used for the delivery of criminal justice in the country by five pillars -- Police (Crime and Criminal Tracking and Network Systems), Forensic Labs, Courts, Public Prosecutors and prisons.

“Once uploaded on ICJS the data collected from the crime spot cannot be tampered with and can be accessed and monitored by senior officials," Goswami added.

Even though the application is set to boost scientific forensic analysis of criminal activities, Goswami says that it is just a part of what the institute aims to achieve.

"UPSIFS is a one-of-a-kind institute that provides professional courses in various fields related to forensic sciences to youngsters. Our primary aim is to teach and groom forensic experts of the future," said Goswami who is the first director of the institute, which is said to be the pet project of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

UPSIFS was developed using a straw from the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), in Gandhinagar Gujarat.

The university was set up over a decade ago when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. UPSIFS is affiliated with NFSU.

Still waiting for its formal inauguration, UPSIFS has already started academic courses this year at its sprawling campus in the Sarojini Nagar area of the state capital. Currently, 118 students are enrolled at the institute under various academic courses.

The Institute's premises are divided into three sections -- a dedicated DNA lab on a 5-acre campus and a 3-acre forensic science lab. Hostel accommodations are also provided for 500 students. The institute aims to enrol 400 students in the next academic year.

“At present, we are offering five courses related to forensics BSc / MSc Forensic Science along with PG Diploma in Forensic Document Examination, Cyber Security, DNA Forensic and Forensic Ballistics and Explosives," the director informed.

He added that the Institute would train students on three verticals -- crime scene management, crime lab analysis, and translation of forensic expert opinion into credible legal evidence.

"As of now forensic experts, if needed, are only called for their opinion in a case. We want to change it so that the students trained here are able to translate their expert opinion into evidence before the court," Goswami explained.

Besides training forensic experts, the institute also aims to increase awareness about forensic sciences in the general masses.

"We are also going to run programs for general awareness about forensic sciences in the public," the director said.

"Our aim is to ensure justice backed with truth and evidence for everyone," he added.