BHU introduces PG course in forensic science from this session

VARANASI: Keeping in view the importance of forensic science, the Banaras Hindu University has introduced a Masters course in forensic science from this academic session. It will help students specialize in the field who will have adequate expertise and potential to help investigating agencies and the court of law. Vice-chancellor of BHU Lalji Singh who himself is an eminent scientist is known as the father of DNA fingerprinting in India.
He said that many parts of the country lack forensic laboratories and evidence therefore gets mishandled or destroyed due to unskilled people. The motive would be therefore to establish a forensic lab in BHU with huge potential of interdisciplinary researches.
According to him, states like UP, Jharkhand, Bihar and Chattisgarh are not much aware about the technique. This technique is not used as much in these regions as it should be. He considers that in these regions police immediately reach the place of crime but due to unprofessional and untrained attitude the available forensic evidences get mishandled and destroyed.
Singh further added that Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country where forensic science labs are established in all the districts. In case of occurrence of incidence, professionals immediately reach the site of crime to collect forensic evidences.
He said that many parts of the country lack forensic laboratories and evidence therefore gets mishandled or destroyed due to unskilled people. The motive would be therefore to establish a forensic lab in BHU with huge potential of interdisciplinary researches.
Worried about the increasing cases of rape and murder cases in the country, he said that DNA fingerprinting technique is very effective in trapping criminals.
"No criminal of such cases could escape from DNA fingerprinting technique if the forensic team is expert who would collect sample from the place of crime within 24 hours for probing," he said. Numerous cases of rape and murder, he added, have been solved since 1988 after the invention of the DNA fingerprinting technique and the criminals were sent behind the bars. Keeping in view the utility and accuracy of this technique, Indian judiciary has given a legal validation to this technique and praised its performance.
Laboratory of the CDFD (Centre for DNA Finger printing and Diagnostic) has been established in Hyderabad by him. "But the necessity of such labs is felt in some other parts of the country too," he said further adding that if the government establishes such labs at different places in the country the criminals would be trapped easily and cases of rape and murder will be regulated up to some extent.
"Such labs should be established in every district and should remain autonomous. In most of the rape and murder cases, people mislead and define them as honour killings. Beside, in the absence of forensic evidences, sometimes innocent people get trapped in these cases", he said and added that forensic technique must be used frequently and common people should also be made aware of these techniques. The impact and accuracy of DNA finger printing technique will threaten the criminals which might discourage them from committing any crime, he said.
With the help of this technique Singh has solved various high profile cases of rape, murder and paternity that include paternity controversy of Tellicherri, Kerala, Tandoor murder case, Swami Premanand case, Beant Singh, Punjab Chief Minister, murder case, Priyadarshini Mattu murder case and Swami Shradhanand case.