Nagaland Director General of Police Shri Rupin Sharma launched three Mobile Forensic Investigation Vans at Kohima Police Headquarters on 1st May 2023.
Delivering a brief speech, Nagaland DGP Shri Rupin Sharma said that the introduction of mobile forensic investigation is a small step towards enhancing the forensic capabilities in the state. Stating that the state has a forensic science laboratory which functions but is not at optimum capacity, thus the Nagaland Police faced problems to replenish the forensic fingerprint kits. He said that all the kits come with a limited quantity of powder and once the powder is exhausted, the kit is useless.
The DGP also said that they faced some budgetary constraints and are trying to make efforts where they are collecting data from all DEFs and other investigation units to see how they can request the government in enhancing the budgetary and increase capacity in forensics as on several occasions the quality of investigation depends on the quality of forensic evidence.
Nowadays, foreign digital fingerprints are used, but this is the basic fingerprint kit where blood samples, semen samples and fingerprints will be enabled for DEF, he said and hoped that this would be a small beginning, as the department has to travel a long distance much more than what they are doing now.
Also, the DGP hopes that the State Government and the Government of India will help and guide forensic capabilities so they will be able to replenish the kits which he said is a challenge for the department but they will make their efforts to do the best and keep the forensic vans operational all the time. He added that if the department can keep it operational, it will be a great achievement for the state and the police department.
Jatila Jamir, IPS, DIG Planning & Development also said that the introduction of forensic mobile vans was to augment the state police force. She said that the forensic mobile van includes a fingerprint capture kit, latent fingerprint developer kit, foot and tyre print kit, forensic light source, blood detection kit, seven detection kit, evidence packing and collection kit, DNA collection and sexual assault kit.