Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, JUL 27 (NPN): Nagaland police on Monday announced a major overhaul of its investigative capabilities with the induction of mobile forensic vans, mandatory training for investigating officers and the State Cabinet’s approval for a separate Directorate of Forensic Sciences in line with the new criminal laws.
Addressing a press conference at Rhododendron Hall, Police Complex, Chümoukedima, Director General of Police (DGP) Nagaland, Rupin Sharma, said policing in Nagaland had traditionally focused on armed policing, while investigation and forensic infrastructure received comparatively less attention. However, he said the implementation of the new criminal laws had made scientific investigation a priority.
Sharma said the newly inducted mobile forensic vans were equipped with advanced tools to assist investigators at crime scenes, including facilities to clone mobile phones and electronic devices, collect fingerprints, blood and other biological samples, and conduct preliminary examinations of narcotics, explosives and cyber-related evidence.
He said the equipment would significantly improve the quality and speed of criminal investigations.
Sharma said the mobile vans would bridge the existing gap in forensic response, as teams currently have to travel from Dimapur to distant districts, often delaying evidence collection.
He added that police headquarters has proposed creating “Scene of Crime Officers” to secure and process crime scenes before forensic experts arrive.
DGP also disclosed that the state cabinet has approved the creation of a separate Directorate of Forensic Sciences, as mandated under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Police chief said the new directorate would initially function alongside the police department until the transition was completed.
On deployment, Sharma said the forensic vans would initially be stationed based on crime patterns and operational requirements rather than allocating one to every district immediately. He said the long-term objective was to provide at least one forensic van in every district while ensuring optimum utilisation of resources.
Responding to queries on manpower, Sharma said the state would require qualified forensic experts as forensic science was a specialised discipline. He informed that five technical posts have already been advertised through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC), with more specialised positions likely to be created in the future.
On the July 13 IED blast in Chümoukedima, Sharma said Nagaland police were pursuing multiple leads based on intelligence inputs and scientific evidence. Samples collected from the blast site have been sent to the National Security Guard (NSG) for analysis. He clarified that while the state government has proposed handing over the case to the NIA, the final decision rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs, adding that official communication was awaited.
DGP also appealed to the public to cooperate with police by permitting post-mortem examinations in cases of unnatural deaths, stating that autopsies were legally necessary to establish the cause of death, detect foul play and facilitate compensation claims.
Urging citizens, civil society organisations and apex bodies not to take the law into their own hands, Sharma appealed to the public to report crimes to the police. He also requested landlords, tenants and hotel operators to use the police’s online registration platforms to strengthen law enforcement and improve public safety.
Maintaining that the overall law and order situation in Nagaland remained normal despite occasional spillover concerns from neighbouring Manipur, Sharma thanked the public for maintaining peace and restraint.
ADGP (law and order), Sandeep M Tamgadge, said the vans would help the police comply with provisions of the new criminal laws, which mandate forensic examination of crime scenes in offences punishable with more than seven years’ imprisonment. Besides forensic equipment, the vehicles were fitted with inverters and portable generators to support field operations.
Tamgadge said all investigating officers have been directed to undergo mandatory training through the Centre’s iGOT Karmayogi platform. He added that Nagaland police have also been organising specialised workshops on cybercrime, forensic investigation, insurgency and terrorism in collaboration with agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT).