From Crime Scene to Court Room: The Rise of Forensic Technology in the Indian Criminal Justice System

Forensic technology has appeared as a revolutionary element of the Indian criminal justice system, which has fundamentally changed the aspect of gathering of evidence, their analysis and presentation in courtrooms. The present paper is a thorough account of how forensic science has developed and become integrated in India, beginning with the practices before the ancient times, through the technology of DNA profiling, digital forensics, and artificial intelligence. Although the legislative changes, such as the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) require the application of the forensic investigation in the severe crimes, their application is plagued by overwhelming odds. They are poor laboratory facilities, insufficient numbers of trained staff and a constant shortage of standard procedures which normally results to contamination of evidence and corruption of investigations. In the analysis of high profile cases such as the Aarushi Talwar and Nirbhaya killings, this paper clarifies the dichotomy between the prospects of the forensic science to administer justice and pitfalls of its misuse. In conclusion, it explains that India needs to optimize the potential of forensic technology, and this can only be achieved through a concerted and multi-pronged effort consisting of infrastructural investment, arduous training and strong ethical systems.