To assist in investigation of sexual crimes against women and minors in Aligarh and nearby areas, a sexual assault forensic examination (SAFE) unit was recently inaugurated at the department of forensic medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Dr Saadiya Saeed, chairperson, department of forensic medicine, said, “Our experts will strive to help deliver timely justice in cases of crimes against women.” She said that the unit would also be used to train doctors and nurses in medical management, medico-legal examination, documentation of proof, and collection and preservation of evidence.
Dr Saadiya said that it was necessary to have such a laboratory, as “progress of cases in fast-track courts and that of periodic safety audits depended upon forensic reports”.
“The unit will investigate sexual assaults by collecting and preserving evidence, which will reach the investigating officers through the casualty medical officers. This will then go to the forensic science laboratory and finally be produced as evidence in court,” she explained.
Applauding the JNMC initiative, Ajay Deep Singh (IAS), commissioner, Aligarh, who was the guest of honour at the inaugural function, said, “The effectiveness of police investigations in sexual assault cases depends on the collection, evaluation and processing of information and evidence provided by the forensic experts.”
{{/usCountry}}Applauding the JNMC initiative, Ajay Deep Singh (IAS), commissioner, Aligarh, who was the guest of honour at the inaugural function, said, “The effectiveness of police investigations in sexual assault cases depends on the collection, evaluation and processing of information and evidence provided by the forensic experts.”
{{/usCountry}}“It is only by studying the forensic reports that the police can critically evaluate and determine if the evidence supports the prosecution in a sexual assault case,” he said.
Prof SC Sharma, dean, faculty of medicine, said that the state-of-the-art unit met the national standards required for conducting forensic DNA analysis in sexual assault cases.