Delhi’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has reduced the number of cases awaiting examination from 27,000 to around 5,700 in about a year, according to the Home Minister’s office, as the government approved a new Regional Forensic Science Laboratory at Sheikh Sarai to reduce pressure on the existing facility in Rohini.
The reduction represents a fall of nearly 79 per cent in the laboratory’s pending workload. Home Minister Ashish Sood said the decline would help speed up investigations and improve the delivery of justice.
Forensic examination is an important part of criminal investigations, with agencies relying on laboratory analysis to process evidence submitted in cases. Delays at the testing stage can hold up the completion of investigations and contribute to postponements in court proceedings. The Home Minister’s office said the reduction in pendency would help investigating agencies complete probes faster and reduce delays in legal proceedings.
The proposed Regional FSL at Sheikh Sarai will be developed at a cost of Rs 151.80 crore. It is intended to ease the workload at the Rohini laboratory, which currently handles forensic examination cases for investigating agencies in the capital.
The government has also planned infrastructure upgrades, advanced equipment and specialised laboratories as part of the measures to strengthen Delhi’s forensic capacity. The announcement did not specify the construction timeline, the proposed number of specialised units or the categories of cases that would be assigned to the Sheikh Sarai facility.
Alongside the infrastructure expansion, the government has initiated steps to fill vacant regular posts at the forensic laboratory. It has also extended the tenure of contractual employees and technical staff to maintain operational continuity while staffing measures are implemented.
The staffing decision addresses a parallel operational issue for a facility whose capacity depends not only on buildings and equipment but also on trained technical personnel. The Home Minister’s office said the combined measures were expected to support faster investigations and reduce delays in court proceedings.
The latest pendency figure comes as the government prepares to add a second regional facility in the capital. The next stages will involve implementing the Sheikh Sarai project, upgrading existing infrastructure and completing the process of filling vacant regular positions.
