New criminal laws leave Assam forensic labs overburdened with record cases
Experts warn outdated infrastructure and manpower shortages threaten the goal of faster, evidence-based justice.;

Central Forensic Science Laboratory
Guwahati, July 16: Just one year after the new criminal laws under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) came into force, the Forensic Science Laboratory is witnessing an unprecedented increase in workload even as the forensic infrastructure in the State is struggling to keep pace owing to critical capacity crisis.
As a result, the Directorate of Forensic Science, Assam (DFSA), especially forensic domains such as Drugs and Narcotics, Toxicology, Cyber Forensics and DNA sampling are facing a huge backlog of cases.
According to a source in the Home department, the number of DNA sampling exhibits could surpass the 5,000-mark in 2025, the highest ever in the DFSA’s history.
A retired forensic expert told The Assam Tribune that in 2024 alone, the Kahilipara laboratory received nearly 3,500 DNA exhibits, which was more than the volume recorded in 2022 and 2023, when the maximum number of submissions was around 1,000.
“If the current trend persists, the number is expected to surpass 5,000 by the end of 2025,” he said, adding that the surge in caseload has outpaced the lab’s infrastructure and resource capacity, leading to significant delays in the examination and reporting of forensic evidence.
Similar is the trend in the Toxicology domain, which since the enactment of the new law has witnessed more than threefold rise in the number of exhibits received while the infrastructure and manpower stayed more or less stagnant.
“The scenario in Drugs and Narcotics and Cyber Forensics are no different,” he asserted.
The newly introduced legislation, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, came into force on July 1, 2024, mandates forensic investigation in all offences punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more under Section 176(3).
This legal shift has led to a dramatic increase in the number of forensic submissions, particularly in cases related to rape, molestation, paternity disputes, person identification, toxicology and cyber crimes.
Another retired director of DFSA said that the laboratory is struggling for physical space to accommodate the rising volume of exhibits, be it DNA, drugs and narcotics, toxicology or cyber crimes.
The existing infrastructure, originally designed to handle a fraction of the current load, is now severely stretched, he said, adding that much of the laboratory’s equipment is outdated or obsolete, further compounding the problem.
“Without modern instrumentation and adequate space, even routine examinations are taking far longer than the usual,” he said.
“While the BNS has put much-needed emphasis on scientific evidence in the criminal justice system, the lack of corresponding investment in forensic capacity has created a serious mismatch. The growing number of exhibits, coupled with outdated equipment, space shortage, and supply chain issues, threatens to derail the very purpose of this reform – speedy, evidence-backed justice in serious criminal cases,” a senior criminal lawyer said.