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Last Updated Wednesday November 25 2020 11:28 AM IST

Mani's death puts focus on Kerala's creaky crime labs system

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Kottayam: The lack of clarity in forensic reports on the reasons for the death of actor Kalabhavan Mani has renewed the demand for an overhaul of the forensic examination system in the state.

Experts say the contradictions in the various reports and the delays point to a need to merge the forensic labs and chemical examination labs that operate independently in Kerala.

"In all the other states, the two have been merged and made into a larger entity with advanced facilities,” Abey Joseph, a forensic DNA expert working with the Abu Dhabi police, told Onmanorama over phone. “But in Kerala, the two are still separate entities and there is not enough coordination between them. The reports on the viscera samples of Mani have been sent to the national forensic lab in Hyderabad for reaching a final conclusion. Had there been enough facilities, this could have been done at Thiruvananthapuram itself."

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A forensic lab and a chemical examiner's lab function in Thiruvananthapuram. The forensic lab has regional offices in Thrissur and Kannur, and there are regional chemical examination labs in Kakkanad and Kozhikode. Mani's viscera samples were tested at the Kakkanad lab.

The chemical examination labs come directly under the home ministry while the forensic labs come under the police department.

There is strange division of work between them. The chemical examination labs analyse viscera samples, toxic substances seized by the excise department and body fluids. DNA profiling, examination of materials including weapons and documents are done at the forensic labs.

The forensic labs have a chemistry division but only do tests like the ones to identify and confirm ganja and cocaine. Cops usually refer other cases to chemical examination labs.

The chemical examination labs were started during the British era and have been scrapped by most other states. Abey said Kerala government allows the labs to function independently to help some officers hold on to top posts.

The experts who spoke to Onmanorama said merging the two labs and improving the facilities they have can help reduce the number of cases pending due to a delay in getting forensic reports. They also point out that running the two separately causes financial losses for the government. Siva Prasad, a research scholar in forensic science and secretary of the Indian Criminology and Forensic Association, said around 5,000 cases are pending in the state due to the delay in getting forensic reports.

Experts from the chemical examination labs are not allowed to visit crime scenes, which often has an adverse impact on evidence collection.

These restrictions exist at a time states like Maharashtra are going ahead with mobile forensic labs to speed up crime-scene checks and tests on samples.

Ironically, in Kerala those who hold a master's degree in forensic science are not eligible to get a job in a forensic lab. "They are appointing people who have master's degrees in basic science subjects like zoology or physics to the forensic lab; those who have specialised in the subject are forced to find a job outside the state," said Prasad.

He added even the so-called specialized training given to such recruits is not adequate. He said he is in possession of a letter from the police chief that the trainees are not given the opportunity to do crime scene checks and sample testing.

Adding to this, these recruits quit their jobs as soon as they get a better opportunity related to their field of study.

Annamma John, who retired as an assistant director from regional forensic science lab, Thrissur, agreed that those who have specialised in forensic science should be recruited to forensic labs.

Candidates with master's in either of forensic science, chemistry or biochemistry are appointed to the chemical examination lab.

"Forensic science is an applied science and it must be dealt with by people who have specialised in it. Unfortunately this is not the case in Kerala," said Abey, who says he is one of those who had to leave the country two decades back because of a lack of jobs in the forensic field.

Kerala has only 34 posts for forensic experts. Of these, 17 are vacant. Seven of the 17 posts for crime-scene examination experts are also vacant. All the technical posts in the crucial forensic DNA test section are also vacant.

The Kerala Police Performance and Accountability Commission headed by retired Justice K.T. Thomas had in 2003 pointed out the lack of experts in the state's forensic labs. The panel had suggested that the state emulate the system in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which had 400 forensic experts then.

It suggested that forensic experts should comprise at least 1 per cent of the total police force. By that measure, Kerala police should have 500 forensic experts.

Prasad says currently there are around 120 experts employed in the six labs, main and regional, in the state.

It was in his outhouse that Mani, 45, hosted some friends, allegedly consumed liquor in their company and then took ill on March 4. The same day he was admitted to a hospital in Kochi. He was said to be suffering from a liver ailment and died two days later. A forensic examination had found Chlorpyrifos, a common pesticide, in his body.

Police investigators are waiting for results from chemical laboratories on objects collected from Mani's outhouse and test reports of the viscera samples sent to Hyderabad.

Too late for merger: official

A top official of the forensic science laboratory said the government should have merged the two types of labs long back. "It's too late for a merger now. Moreover, the two entities are functioning smoothly on their own," the officer said on condition of anonymity.

He also denied that there was any staff shortage, and added that steps have been initiated to recruit those who have specialised in forensic science to the state's forensic labs.

'Don't want pressure from cops'

An official with the chemical examiner's lab, who did not wish to be named, had a different take on the whole issue. He said the chemical examination wing prefers to operate as an independent entity. "The chemical examination wing is directly under the home ministry while the forensic lab comes under the police department. If the former is merged with the latter, there could be a lot of pressure and intervention from the police department.” As a scientist community, we prefer to remain independent, he said.

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