Thiruvananthapuram: Lack of necessary facilities in Kerala is forcing the state investigation agencies to rely on Gujarat. In two recent instances, the state police chief has approved seeking the service of the Forensic Science Laboratory, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to make a headway in the probe.

The Home Department has accorded an administrative sanction to conduct a Narco Analysis test of an accused in a homicide case registered at Nadakavu police station. The test will be conducted at the FSL, Gujarat at a cost of ₹95020. The case pertains to the death of Sarala Devi in Koyilandy in 2021. The suspect in this case is Sanjay Kumar, the son of the deceased.

The Judicial First Class Magistrate court - 4 has permitted the investigating officer to conduct Narco Analysis test of the accused Sanjay Kumar. The DGP communicated to the state government that due to non-availability of facilities in Kerala, a request was made before the FSL, Gujarat and the authorities gave permission to conduct the test at a rate fixed by the Government of Gujarat for the Narco Analysis test.

In another case, the State Crime Branch probing the death of former Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) S Aneeshya sought sanction from the Home department to send her iPhone for forensic analysis at FSL, Gujarat. It was informed that the forensic analysis of the material object (iPhone) collected in connection with the crime was not possible at the FSL, Thiruvananthapuram, as the device was password-protected and the necessary tool to unlock the device was not currently available at the FSL.

The state government has given the administrative sanction to the send the phone for forensic analysis at FSL, Gujarat and approved an amount of ₹19,004 as the analysis charge. Paravoor police initially investigated the case and it was later transferred to the State Crime Branch under the supervision of the SP, Crime Branch, Thiruvananthapuram.

Aneeshya, wife of Sessions Court Judge in Mavelikkara KN Ajithkumar, was found dead in her house near Nedungolum in Paravoor, in January 2024. It was alleged that she was mentally harassed by her senior officials and colleagues. Audio clips levelling the allegations also surfaced, prompting the Director-General of Prosecution to order an investigation.

In 2024, the state government sanctioned an amount of ₹6.04 crore for the modernisation and upgradation of FSLs and an amount of ₹12.35 crore was sanctioned for the procurement of 19 mobile forensic vans for all districts and the state FSL. This was approved as part of the scheme “Modernisation of Forensic Capacities (SMFC)” run by the centre for the development of forensic Science in the country. The Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS) is the nodal agency for promotion of forensic science in the country.