Credibility of Madhuban FSL ‘under cloud’

It has been raining inquiries at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Madhuban, Karnal, against its top officers for giving false reports and committing lapses on their part. The courts have also been passing strictures against them but despite that they are getting promotions.

PANCHKULA’S MISSING CONTRABAND CASE

Former director of FSL, Madhuban, SK Sangwan has been facing an inquiry in the missing contraband case of Panchkula district as a chargesheet under rule 7 of Civil Service Rules was raised against him in December last year, which invites punishment such as stopping of increment permanently, reversion and even dismissal. In fact others had to face trial in the matter pertaining to missing brown sugar packets but he got acquitted and the courts had been calling for an action against him.

‘UNTRUTHFUL’ REPORT IN MURDER CASE

The Punjab and Haryana high court has been seeking action against an “untruthful” and “dishonest” report of deputy director of FSL, Dr Jagdish Ram in a murder case.

He wrongly reported that viscera had aluminum phosphide where as it had some other poison.
The HC had termed the report false in 2010 but even after four years nothing was done against the delinquent official.

In fact, he was awarded with a promotion. The Supreme Court also upheld the judgment. Now, on February 18 this year, the court had asked compliance report from the FSL.

HANDWRITING EXPERT UNDER LENS

Another case pertains to Kanta Malik, assistant director at FSL, who is a handwriting expert. In a case of possession of ancestral land, she had declared the signatures of one Ram Sarup Joshi, a resident of Faridabad, as his genuine signatures on General Power of Attorney (GPA).

On repeated complaints of Joshi, Haryana DGP SN Vashisht had constituted a panel/board for re-examination of the said GPA.

The board of experts then had opined that the signatures of Joshi were forged and not genuine. As such the opinion submitted by Kanta Malik proved wrong.

In another case, the report submitted by Malik was also found to be wrong when the commissioner of police (CP), Faridabad, got it re-examined from a board of experts at Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh.

This was also got re-examined by CP, Faridabad, on the directions of the DGP, when the complainant Chand Kiran had approached the SC/ST Commission.

The CP reported to the ADGP (law and order) in a letter dated January 17 that the different report from the CFSL created suspicion about the credibility of FSL, Madhuban.

The office of the DGP is yet to decide action against her though departmental action has been recommended.

JYOTI MURDER CASE

In the Jyoti murder case also, the credibility of FSL, Madhuban, is under suspicion as Panchkula police have sent the entire evidence to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh, after getting negative reports from Forensic Science Laboratory, Madhuban.

In fact, during the cross examination ACP Dharamveer told the court that there was a big gap in handing over of the reports to the police and the date mentioned on the reports and that was why the evidence was sent for re-examination.

Also, the FSL, Madhuban, had given a negative report about the burnt tyre samples but the police then sent it to Delhi-based Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, which confirmed police theory that they belonged to a heavy vehicle.

The rear tyres of the truck, which ran over Jyoti, were burnt down to erase evidence. Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary is a prime accused in the case.