Mobile forensic laboratories in eight districts of north Bengal to be operational for crime study
Telegraph | 7 February 2026
Mobile forensic laboratories will be operational in all eight districts of north Bengal soon, ensuring swift collection of samples from crime scenes and their timely examination.
Highly advanced vehicles equipped with forensic labs have already reached the eight districts, officials said.
“Although each district will have its own dedicated mobile forensic laboratory vehicle, the collected samples will be examined at the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Jalpaiguri. The mobile units are expected to be operational shortly,” said Mousumi Rakshit, assistant director and officer-in-charge of the Jalpaiguri RFSL.
The RFSL caters for all districts of north Bengal and currently conducts forensic examinations in departments such as biology, toxicology, and serology.
Samples related to cases of murder, rape, suicide, suspected poisoning deaths, Pocso cases, and other criminal investigations are routinely examined here. These include blood grouping, blood samples, bloodstains on weapons, serum, viscera, human skin, tears, semen, poison samples, and samples collected from fire-related incidents.
“Earlier, police teams or forensic experts from Jalpaiguri had to travel long distances to districts such as Malda or South Dinajpur to collect samples, leading to significant delays. In many cases, valuable evidence would be damaged or contaminated because of crowding at crime scenes before forensic experts could arrive,” said a source.
Now that the mobile forensic labs will be operational, the staff posted in these vehicles will collect samples at the district level and transport them safely to the Jalpaiguri RFSL for examination.
“Each mobile forensic laboratory vehicle will be staffed with trained forensic experts and equipped with modern kits required for on-the-spot evidence collection, preservation, and secure transportation,” Rakshit said.
Sources have said it is mandatory under the new criminal justice laws that forensic experts conduct on-site inspections in cases where the offence carries a punishment of more than seven years’ imprisonment.
“Also, the number of forensic examinations related to serious crimes such as murder, rape, and Pocso cases increased significantly in the past one to two years. The introduction of mobile forensic laboratories is expected to speed up investigations and enable faster submission of forensic reports,” said an official.