4 Years After Nirbhaya, Why India Needs a Forensic Evidence Bill

We need an act that substantially reduces the testing time of forensic samples.

Anti-rape protests in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

Four years after Nirbhaya, many big issues remain unresolved. One of them is the absence of a standardised procedure in the collection of forensic evidence in cases of sexual assault.

We spoke to Anand Junior Gupta, Founder, Seeking Her Empowerment, to understand how ‘rape kits’ can help India tackle its rape problem.

Here’s the link to our full conversation.

You can also catch a brief summary of the conversation here.

The problem with forensic assault evidence collection in India lies in the fact that there isn't a uniform pro forma which states exactly what a doctor needs to examine. Seeking Her Empowerment (SHE), an NGO that has been actively campaigning for justice to Nirbhaya, has put together a SAFE Bill relating to:

(i) the collection of forensic evidence in cases of sexual assault by using standardised procedures and sexual assault evidence collection kits

(ii) the storage, testing and chain of custody of such forensic evidence; and to

(iii) provide for the speedy disposal of sexual assault cases by setting up dedicated facilities to collect, store and test such evidence.