Police stations to get special kits to probe rape cases
New Delhi: Police stations in the country will soon have special kits to collect blood and semen samples, besides other evidence, to carry out immediate investigation into sexual assault cases, officials said on Sunday. The “rape investigation kits” are designed to carry out immediate medico- legal investigation and aid in furnishing evidence in sexual assault and rape cases.
All police stations across the country will now be equipped with Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits ( SAECK) or “rape investigation kits” in order to collect blood and semen samples in addition to other important evidence to initiate immediate investigation into cases sexual assault.
These kits will help investigating officers to start immediate medicolegal investigation and help provide further evidence in cases of sexual assault and rape.
As part of the pilot project, in the initial phase, as many as 3,960 such kits will procured by the Union home ministry and all states and Union Territories will be provided 100 each of these SAECK. While ` 79.20 lakh would be spent on procuring the kits as part of the pilot project, an additional ` 4.91 crore will be spent to train police officers and other medical staff of local hospitals in their area of jurisdiction. The kits will have all the essential items required in providing crucial evidence such as blood and semen samples in such cases. The kit will contain a set of test tubes and bottles, with details of contents and specifications along with instructions on collection of evidence from the crime scene. The kits will then be sent to the closest forensic laboratory to provide the results within two months. Initially, at least three kits will be provided to each of the 15,640 police stations in the country after which the number would be gradually increased. The cost would be shared jointly by the Centre and the respective states.
◗ Initially, at least three kits will be provided to each of the 15,640 police stations in the country after which the number would be gradually increased