Jammu, Dec 29 : After a proposal was submitted by the AIIMS Jammu to the Union Home Ministry (MHA), the ministry on Monday approved the setting up of a state-of-the-art forensic institute in J&K.

An official statement said today that the MHA has approved a proposal of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu, for a state-of-the-art Forensic Institute in J&K.

The proposal had been sent to establish an institute to consolidate evidence collection, increase conviction rates and help in better investigation and diagnosis in the health sector, officials said.

â??A forensic institute is coming up in J&K. AIIMS has submitted a proposal (for setting up the institute in J&K) to the Ministry of Home Affairs. They have approved it,â?? Executive Director & CEO, AIIMS Jammu, Prof Shakti Kumar Gupta said.

Gupta said the CBI has also been involved in it. â??There are only a few forensic institutes in the country. This institute will come up in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir,â?? he said.

He added that in the future, AIIMS will work with the institute, helping in early investigation and diagnosis for medical health.

Jammu and Kashmir, which has been battling terrorism for the past 35 years, has two forensic science laboratories at Jammu and Srinagar, with its headquarters at Jammu.

It was created in the year 1964 under the Home Department. The geographical location of Jammu and Kashmir, with its proximity to the International Border and three state borders, makes it sensitive to terror, narco-terror and gun-related crimes, officials said.

â??The possibility of involvement of criminals from different states and different nations is always anticipated. This poses a major challenge to the police and defence forces, and the same has been well known,â?? Professor and Head, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, Dr Dinesh Rao said.

He said it is essential that J&K is prepared to address this by establishing a state-of-the-art forensic institute wherein all the services discussed above are made available under one roof.

â??This will be a one-point facility for the investigation agencies. This will help secure the evidence, examine the evidence, and at the same time, analyse it through different scientific laboratories available under one roof,â?? he said.

Dr Rao said that with the support of the government, AIIMS can establish a state-of-the-art forensic institute in the region to cater to the needs of the police and defence forces in their efforts to fight the menace in the region.

/IANS