CHENNAI: An inordinate delay in issuing detailed report of the forensic science laboratory has stalled the court trial in more than 595 Pocso (Prevention of Crimes against Sexual Offences) Act cases in the state including 274 in Chennai city alone in 2020-21, proving true the maxim “justice delayed is justice denied.”
Forensic Science Laboratory reports are key evidence to draft the final verdict in cases of sexual assault, but the families of survivors of the harrowing trauma, law enforcement agencies and courts continue to wait for such reports. Tiruvannamalai district is in second place after Chennai, with police waiting for final reports in 45 cases, while police in Tenkasi and Dindigul district wait for reports in 16 cases each. Chengalpet has 15 cases, Tiruvallur 14, Thanjavur 13 cases and Madurai 10.
An official at the state forensic science laboratory said everyone in the facility was aware of the importance of the reports and worked on a priority basis, but said that they had a limited group of staff and were hard pressed to cater to the requirements of police personnel and other agencies across the state.
As per the directions of the courts, a team of doctors conducts the medical examination for sexual assault victims and data from the series of tests and samples are forwarded to the forensic science laboratory the same day for further verification, said Theranirajan, dean of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
Chennai city police commissioner Shankar Jiwal said, “We have written to the forensic science laboratory to clear the pendency cases.”
However, as per official statistics, 14 cases reported in Tiruvannamalai are waiting for a DNA verification by the forensic science laboratory, followed by Salem city with nine, Coimbatore with eight, Tiruvallur with seven and Chengalpet with six cases. None of the cases related to DNA verification is pending in Chennai city.
