Amit Shah inaugurates new Central Forensic Science Laboratory building near Kolkata

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated a new Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Rajarhat, close to Kolkata, which he said heralds a new era in India's criminal justice system. The spanking new complex, constructed at a cost of approximately ₹90 crore, is designed to speed up investigations, make them more accurate, and evidence-based, instead of being dependent on courtroom proceedings.​

Shah asserted that the government will make a "holistic, evidence-based" shift towards justice from January 2026. In other words, from investigation to final judgment, cases will be dependent on data and forensic evidence. In essence, police will increasingly use science — from DNA matching and cyber forensics to analysis of call data and psychological profiling — to crack crimes and prosecute them more effectively.

Spread over an area of six acres, Rajarhat CFSL will serve not just West Bengal but Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, and Sikkim as well. It has state-of-the-art labs for DNA analysis, narcotics examination, computer forensics, serology, etc. Shah stated that in the very near future, every district will be equipped with a forensic mobile van and that each police station will be able to make use of the facilities provided by CFSL, leading to faster and more reliable investigations.​

The seven additional CFSLs in India and new campuses for the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) have also been announced by the minister, where thousands of students will be trained to specialize in forensic studies. Another national forensic data center worth ₹200 crore will utilize artificial intelligence to examine digital and bio-evidence.

This is the start of an evidence-based justice system wherein the guilty will not be able to escape and victims won't be kept waiting for eternities for justice," Shah stated. He added that the coming reforms under the new criminal laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita will ensure forensic science becomes the focal point in all criminal investigations.".

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday dedicated the new complex of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Rajarhat on the outskirts of Kolkata, claiming that it will assist in adopting a holistic approach to investigation of complicated cases in eastern and northeast states.

Shah expressed that the inauguration is a historic milestone in the Centre's enduring drive to construct a safe, transparent and evidence-based criminal justice system.

"It is a moment of tremendous fulfillment as we go on consolidating every link in the chain of contemporary forensic and investigative infrastructure," he added.

"This will go a long way in fortifying the criminal justice system in West Bengal and the Northeast," Shah added.

The home minister also mentioned the effect of recent criminal law amendments and said that since the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was introduced, "in 60 per cent cases, we have seen chargesheets filed within 60 days".

He said the centre is going to establish seven additional CFSL labs in Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala and Bihar.

Shah, who is on a two-day West Bengal visit, will also meet with BJP leaders and functionaries at a party convention at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here later today.