Special kits given to states by MHA to speed up rape probes
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has distributed more than 3,100 special kits for collecting blood and semen samples and other evidence to carry out immediate investigation into cases of sexual assault, ministry officials said on Sunday.
Officials say the Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECK) will help authorities carry out immediate medico-legal investigation in cases of sexual assault and rape. The MHA has produced around 3,200 such kits, officials said.
The initial SAECKs were procured with financial support under the Nirbhaya Fund. Gradually, states will start producing them as needed.
“The kits are expected to help law enforcement agencies to ensure effective investigation in a timely manner for better prosecution and convictions in sexual assault cases,” an official said.
Each kit comprises a set of test tubes and bottles, and contains instructions on how to collect evidence from crime scenes. The samples would be sent to the closest laboratory and the results of the tests would be out in two months.
Police and medical staff are being trained on how to use the kits. “We have trained 2,575 investigators, 1,648 prosecutors and 927 doctors from various states and Union Territories for systematic collection of evidence and as master trainers,” a ministry official said.
Delhi-based Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences is undertaking training of medical officers from states and Union Territories on medico-legal procedures, including evidence collection and handling of forensic material in sexual assault cases.
