Vijayawada: 26 Mobile Forensic Vehicles Launched to Strengthen Crime-Scene Investigation
The newly launched 26 district MFVs will provide district-level forensic support in offences punishable with seven years or more.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta on Wednesday flagged off 26 district mobile forensic vehicles (MFVs) at the 6th APSP Battalion grounds in Mangalagiri to strengthen scientific investigation at crime scenes and speed up the collection and preservation of forensic evidence.
The initiative assumes significance in view of Section 176(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which mandates forensic examination and collection of evidence in offences punishable with seven years or more of imprisonment.
The state has introduced a three-tier, 24x7 forensic evidence collection system. Tier-1 comprises 107 existing crime-scene vehicles at the SDPO level for immediate forensic assistance in offences punishable with less than seven years.
The newly launched 26 district MFVs form Tier-2 and will provide district-level forensic support in offences punishable with seven years or more.
Tier-3 comprises expert teams from the APFSL headquarters and seven Regional Forensic Science Laboratories (RFSLs) for sensitive and complex cases requiring advanced expertise.
Gupta said the vehicles were equipped with specialised forensic kits for bloodstain detection, gunshot residue (GSR), NDPS, fire and arson investigation and fingerprint development.
They also carry advanced forensic light sources and cyber-forensic equipment to help personnel scientifically process, document and photograph crime scenes, collect physical evidence and ensure its proper preservation, packing and labelling.
He said the system would strengthen the chain of custody and evidentiary value of forensic material and reduce response time, enabling investigators to secure scientific evidence at the initial stage itself.
The DGP said the APFSL recorded a 92.5 per cent disposal rate in 2025, examining 23,682 of 25,602 cases and leaving 1,920 pending. Andhra Pradesh stood second nationally, behind Karnataka’s 92.7 per cent disposal rate.
Senior police officers, including CID chief Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, APSLPRB chairman R.K. Meena, Additional DGP (Law and Order) N. Madhusudana Reddy and APFSL director PHD Ramakrishna, attended the programme.