Lucknow: The sixth batch of the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science (UPSIFS) Crime Scene Management Training Programme, aimed at promoting scientific policing, concluded on Friday, with more than 600 police personnel from the rank of constable to inspector being trained in scientific investigation techniques, crime-scene management and evidence handling.The six-week programme, which began on Aug 3, aimed to strengthen the investigative capabilities of police personnel posted across districts and commissionerates in Uttar Pradesh. Participants underwent intensive practical and classroom training in crime-scene preservation, evidence collection and documentation, forensic techniques, photography and videography, evidence packaging, and maintaining the chain of custody — all crucial for ensuring the admissibility and integrity of evidence in court.Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna said scientific and evidence-based investigation was transforming policing in Uttar Pradesh and urged trainees to apply their newly acquired knowledge, skills and attitude to field investigations. He said investments in training infrastructure and professional capacity-building were now yielding tangible results on the ground.The DGP highlighted that the impact of such training was already visible across the state, with trained personnel helping scientifically secure nearly 5,000 crime scenes every month. These scenes are subsequently subjected to systematic evidence collection, labelling, packaging and dispatch to forensic laboratories, improving the quality of investigations and prosecutions.Calling UPSIFS a landmark initiative established under the vision of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajeev Krishna said the institute had become a cornerstone of the state’s forensic capabilities. He particularly praised its multidisciplinary approach, which integrates forensics, law and cyber expertise into police training programmes.Referring to UPSIFS’s motto, “Truth, Evidence, Justice”, he noted that the newly implemented criminal laws place significant emphasis on scientific investigation, making trained field personnel indispensable to effective law enforcement.The DGP also urged police personnel not to treat crime-scene examination as a routine procedure but as a critical opportunity to identify, recover and preserve evidence that can withstand judicial scrutiny.UPSIFS founder director GK Goswamy said the programme was designed as a skill-development course with a strong emphasis on practical learning. He said trainees were exposed to case studies and mock-court exercises, helping them understand how evidence collected at crime scenes contributes to investigation, prosecution and judicial outcomes.
