The invisible world of India’s police photographers

Being a police photographer is a daunting task but these unsung heroes often go unnoticed. Accompanying police officers in crime scenes, these photographers document minute details that act as evidence during a trial. In India, police photographers as part of the mobile crime team attached to every local thana are a 2000s phenomenon. After a crime is reported to the Police Control Room, a call is made to the duty officer of the local police station who passes on the assignment to the beat officer on duty who then calls in the mobile crime team. The police photographer belongs to this team. Under the Law of Evidence, a photograph is a document and a photographer is an 'Expert' under Section 45 of the Indian Evidence Act.