THIS is apropos of the news report ‘Forensic evidence: 50 officers attend special training’ (June 20). The report indicated that the Punjab police for the first time convicted 28 criminals by submitting forensic evidence instead of the old-fashioned confessional evidence to courts. The report further said that a batch of 50 Punjab police officers had been selected for weeklong training by a foreign agency.

It is interesting to know that the police officers have had a short-term forensic technical training after submitting some solid forensic evidences to the court against 28 people under detention. This is incopmprehensible. How will the court judge these evidences and provide justice to the people concerned on the basis of these evidences because creditability of these forensic evidences do not seem to be up to the mark.

Forensic evidences are not simple enough to collect. Forensic science is a comprehensive study which deals with chemical and biological analysis and interpretation of evidence that is a part of a legal investigative process. It includes knowledge of various fields such as biology, chemistry, medicine, computer science, anthropology, accounting and psychology.

Forensic officers conduct incipient examinations of the crime scene, extend help for collecting samples and materials by using specialised and standardised analysis techniques. They assist the court and the police by giving them evidences which are inferred from smaller amounts of biological material left behind by persons involved in criminal offences.

Only trained persons should have an understanding of how to collect DNA samples from different cells because this ability will help to make genetic profile for getting samples from papers, documents, keyboard, bedding, doors, fabrics, firearms, cartridge, drinking containers and particularly epithelial cells of human body which could help to detect torture and rape cases.

Also, the interpretation of DNA data is not an easy job and cannot be performed by an ordinary biologist because there is a need to learn molecular biology in depth. For instance, you must have knowledge of molecular biology as you could understand Y-STR haplotype data, role of mitochondria DNA, fingerprints and short tandem repeats (STR) loci in human genome which are extensively used in human identity testing and forensic casework.

Nowadays, accuracy on forensic evidence is being increased by implementation of robotic equipment to extract, quantify, amplify, detect forensic DNA samples, and greater specialisation has also been ensured for DNA data interpretation. Computational forensic concerned people are developing more algorithms supported software which helps them to read forensic data accurately.

Big forensic specialist teams are part of the police and the army nowadays everywhere in the world. They are usually highly trained and spend years on education-and work-related experience.

A one-or two-week-long training looks funny and time-wasting event because police officers’ educational background does not match and help them to understand forensic science appropriately. They must have knowledge at the level where they can stand before the court for testifying with confidence and responsibility against criminals.

Wrong testification is a serious crime. The government should hire professional forensic officers who can defend in a professional manner all biologically-collected data.

HABIB HYDER LAGHARI Canada