Piling up of samples in lab delays trials in Punjab courts

CHANDIGARH: In what could result in massive delays in completion of trials in Punjab courts, the state has told the court that 19,000 fresh samples for chemical examination were received in 2020, but examination process at the lone laboratory in Kharar could be started in December due to Covid-19 outbreak.

The government has told court a total of 27,286 samples were to be examined last year, including 8,133 samples from 2019 and 19,153 from 2020. The report filed in high court also revealed that against 14 posts sanctioned of analysts, six are lying vacant at the Kharar lab.

The response came on a bail plea filed by one of the accused in a case of smuggling of spurious liquor. Perturbed over delay in processing of samples, the court had sought details, such as pendency and infrastructure details in November 2020.

“It is a matter of fact that the trials before the courts, either under the NDPS Act or Excise Act, are delayed on account of awaiting the FSL report for a long time and in some cases, it takes about a year in receipt of report from the FSL,” the court had observed while seeking details.

The state has told the court that the government is going to open a new regional chemical laboratory at Jalandhar under the Kharar laboratory for which 21 posts were sanctioned in July last year and 8 more posts in December 2020. Besides, six analysts are being hired on outsource basis while for regular posting hiring is on, the state has told court.

Now, the court has asked the additional chief secretary, department of home affairs and justice, as well as the director general of police to apprise the court in April about completion of the process of establishing the new lab.

The government says from December onwards, both tests, qualitative and quantitative, are being processed.

Earlier before court, it had come to light that state was skipping “qualitative tests”. The qualitative tests are performed to check whether contents of the liquor is spurious or unfit for human consumption, whereas the quantitative analysis is done to determine the percentage of alcohol/ ethyl alcohol as in case of spurious liquor high percentage of ethyl alcohol can be dangerous to life.