A STUDY ON FORENSIC EVIDENCE RELIABILITY IN CRIMINAL TRIALS IN INDIA

Abstract

The field of forensic science, which employs scientific methods to provide objective circumstantial evidence, is currently advancing at an ever-increasing rate. As a result, increasing amounts of scientific evidence are presented, which is often less and less understandable to non-scientists and grows increasingly sophisticated. Over the past 25 years, the area of forensic science has developed, leading to significant scientific advancements (DNA typing, physical evidence databases, related scientific instrumentation). The word "forensic science" is an umbrella term that includes various scientific fields and crosses practically all medical subject boundaries. This study examines how forensic services are used in crime investigation as perceived by police officers in India at various levels of designation. The data was gathered using a structured questionnaire and a purposeful sampling approach. The findings were statistically interpolated using the SPSS programme. This study discovered a lack of knowledge of various forensic services, specialised forensic divisions, and the use of forensic methodologies during crime investigation among police officers working at lower hierarchy levels (<50%). The findings of this study would make it easier to spot any gaps in the application of forensic services during the course of a criminal inquiry.