Experts welcome move to strengthen DNA tech in criminal justice system

Hyderabad: Senior geneticists and DNA fingerprinting experts from Hyderabad and legal experts from elsewhere have welcomed the recent developments aimed at instituting DNA technology more prominently as part of the criminal justice system. Noticeable measures taken to beef up the DNA infrastructure and manpower will go a long way in building readiness for a national […]

Hyderabad: Senior geneticists and DNA fingerprinting experts from Hyderabad and legal experts from elsewhere have welcomed the recent developments aimed at instituting DNA technology more prominently as part of the criminal justice system.

Noticeable measures taken to beef up the DNA infrastructure and manpower will go a long way in building readiness for a national DNA database, should the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, move forward this winter session in the Parliament, experts in a press release said.

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Highlighting the importance of DNA infrastructure and manpower requirements, Dr D K Thangaraj, Director, Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), said, “It is good to see both Central and State government authorities working towards expanding the capacity of forensic DNA crime labs across the country, particularly in interior districts, by upgrading regional FSLs. For India to take a leap in DNA technology through a national offender DNA profile database system, we need two things – a strong policy framework and an equally robust nationwide technical infrastructure.

It is evident that the growing application of DNA forensics in criminal investigation procedures will benefit law enforcement agencies, enhancing their ability to solve cases faster and more effectively.

The purpose of the bill is to create a regulatory framework for obtaining, storing, and testing DNA samples, mainly for criminal investigation purposes. The bill also seeks to establish a national data bank and regional data banks. These profiles are then meant to guide law enforcement agencies in investigations in ways that have not been possible so far. To that effect, state-of-the-art technologies are required for DNA forensics to help law enforcement agencies solve and prosecute more crimes.

Speaking on the development, Dr Pinky Anand, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India said in a press release said, “The advancement of science and usefulness of DNA is a tool of justice for victims especially for heinous sexual offences”.

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