Uttar Pradesh families await justice due to forensic delays

Many families are currently facing delays in receiving justice due to pending viscera reports from forensic labs. These reports are crucial for understanding the causes of deaths in suspicious cases. The backlog is caused by issues like mismanagement and inefficiency in the forensic system. For instance, Komal Kashyap has been waiting for answers about her husband's unclear death for four years. The police keep telling her that they need the viscera report to proceed with the case. Similarly, Karan Chaudhary and Alisha Rizvi are also in limbo, waiting for the reports that determine the circumstances of their loved ones' deaths. In Uttar Pradesh, more than 15,000 viscera reports are currently pending. Cases involving high-profile individuals or urgent law-and-order concerns are prioritized. As a result, many victims' families feel powerless as justice is delayed indefinitely. Without these reports, court hearings cannot proceed, and suspects often evade justice. The forensic system itself is facing serious challenges. Forensic samples are often improperly stored and transported, affecting their reliability. Guidelines about how samples should be handled are not followed, leading to decomposing evidence. This situation results in compromised reports, which can jeopardize cases in court. Authorities acknowledge the problem and claim they are working on solutions. More forensic labs are being built, but staffing remains a major hurdle, with over 60% of technical positions still vacant. Families like Alisha’s continue to live with uncertainty and unanswered questions about their loved ones' deaths while waiting for vital forensic evidence.