Forensic students may join police force as interns

The city police may soon be playing tutors to budding forensic experts while learning a little more about the field themselves.

The city police may soon be playing tutors to budding forensic experts while learning a little more about the field themselves.

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Experts from the Institute of Forensic Science in Mumbai and Aurangabad recently wrote to the Crime Branch officers requesting them to let students of the institution join police personnel as interns.

“We decided to initiate this because we realised the importance of such an exposure to the students. Hands-on experience will help them understand their education better,” said Dr Rukmani Krishnamurthy, technical advisor to the institute. “At the same time, the initiative will help us introduce the police personnel to the latest the technology and developments in the field of forensics.”

Krishnamurthy said the institute had approached joint commissioner of police Himanshu Roy with the initiative. “We have submitted a letter to him. We are now awaiting his response.”

The initiative, said an expert from the institute, was a step towards ensuring that criminals did not walk free due to mishandling of evidence.

“Such scientific training is essential for the police too. This way they will teach the students and familiarise themselves with the latest techniques to retrieve and preserve evidence which often gets lost,” said the expert.

Senior police officials said this would also help ensure that sensitive evidence was preserved and not contaminated. “Several police personnel visit a crime scene. Working with students of such a technical field will help them appreciate the importance of sensitive evidence, like biological or ballistic remains,” an officer said, requesting anonymity.