HYDERABAD: Hyde­rabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dr Sanaullah Abbasi has observed that usually criminal investigations are 100 per cent tampered with by policemen on the basis of caste, creed and colour but forensic science training will help eliminate chances of any tampering.

He was speaking at a ceremony held at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) on Tuesday for the distribution of certificates to the police and Rangers personnel who successfully completed forensic medicine and toxicology training given to them at the university’s relevant department.

According to the DIG, evidence found through forensic methodology is conclusive and remains undeniable. It is essentially important during investigation. Police are usually held responsible for defective investigation where evidence through forensic science is not available. Ends of justice could be met if investigation results included evidence collected through forensic science.

DIG Abbasi stressed that police officers’ learning must reflect in routine investigation so that complainants and accused could get justice.

LUMHS vice chancellor Prof Noshad A. Shaikh told the audience that more such training courses for police and Rangers personnel would be introduced by the university. He said that that Sindh government had recently authorised the university’s forensic laboratory to perform different medico-legal examinations. The university’s DNA laboratory is ready for undertaking such tests.

Forensic medicine and toxicology department head Prof Mohammad Akbar Kazi, assistant professor Waheed Ali Nahiyoon and LUMHS registrar Dr Bux Ali Pitafi were also present.

Dr Nahiyoon said that during the training, the police and Rangers personnel were taught how to handle bodies in homicide, disaster and sexual assault cases to ensure certain precautions and correct findings.

“Preserving evidence is most important in every case and we have emphasised this in the course,” he said. He said that policemen must ensure that evidence did not get putrefied.

“Usually bodies are handled in a manner that destroys or spoils evidence. This needs to be taken care of,” he said. The course participants also learned how to reconstruct a severed head, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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