DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

A new regional forensic science laboratory (FSL) is in the works in Gurugram with a dedicated DNA analysis facility to handle cases of sexual assault and unidentified bodies, an official said on Friday.

Sharing details, Sumita Misra, additional chief secretary in the home department, highlighted significant infrastructure and technology upgrades to the state's forensic system. The Hisar regional FSL, which now has an additional block sanctioned and a new ballistics unit that started in May, is already speeding up firearm investigations, Misra said. Also, a physics division is being established at the Moginand FSL in Panchkula to focus on technical cases for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, she said.

To boost speed and accuracy, Haryana has invested Rs 14.55 crore in new equipment across its forensic labs.

"This includes three GC-MS units for drug investigations, three comparison microscopes for ballistics, and advanced DNA sequencers and automated extraction systems," she added. Misra also said that Haryana's forensic reform is not just about numbers, it is about restoring public trust in justice through science-led, time-bound investigations.

"With a zero-backlog target at the earliest and a goal to keep pendency below one month thereafter, the state is setting a national benchmark in forensic governance... With these advances, Haryana is proving that modern forensics can be both fast and flawless, ensuring that justice is not delayed, and certainly not denied," she said.

According to an official statement, the state is fully geared to meet the demands of the new criminal laws.

The state FSL has significantly reduced its backlog of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) cases, Misra claimed. "The FSL has cut its pending cases significantly. This progress has put Haryana on the path to having zero pending cases by September 2025," she added.

The average monthly disposal rate has surged by nearly 49 per cent, from 1,526 cases in 2023 to 2,273 in 2025, even as new criminal laws have pushed case inflow to a record high, the official said.

In just six months, the NDPS backlog has been reduced by 70 per cent from 2,306 to 683 cases, she claimed.

The reporting time has been cut to just 3-4 weeks for most cases, with 15 days for commercial quantity cases, she added. A 70.7 per cent increase in sanctioned strength and a doubling of posted staff have been central to this success, which include recruitment for 22 senior scientific assistants and 17 scientific assistants, Misra said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)