New Criminal Laws to Enhance Forensic Experts' Workload in Haryana

According to The Times of India, the implementation of India's new criminal laws has dramatically boosted the workload of forensic experts throughout Haryana. As per the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), every case that has a prospective punishment of seven years or more now needs a compulsory forensic team probe under Section 176(3).

Haryana currently has 17 mobile forensic units staffed with six members each — a senior scientific officer, assistant scientific officer, fingerprint expert, photographer, lab assistant, and driver. They cater to the state's 22 districts and police commissionerates. Gurugram alone has two of them, but small districts like Nuh and Palwal have to share the staff.

The current workload is already over-taxing capacity. More than 15,000 cases are in suspension at the state's central Forensic Science Laboratory in Madhuban and four regional laboratories in Gurugram, Hisar, Rohtak, and Panchkula. A plan for six additional mobile forensic centers is still in the balance with the finance department. Officials have cautioned that, if new employees and newer equipment are not added, crime investigations could get delayed.

A top officer clarified that. while forensic experts have been visiting major crime scenes for years, previous visits were not mandatory. "Earlier, experts were summoned only for serious crimes like rape, murder, or NDPS crimes," he said. Now, the law requires field investigations in far more serious cases.

Mobile forensic teams in Haryana between January and June 2025 visited 3,366 crime sites of which 1,376 pertained to offenses that carry a prison term of seven or more years. Teams collect biological and serological evidence — like blood, semen, hair, and fingerprints — and photograph and label samples for forensic examination during visits.