Chandigarh, May 17 -- The once quiet corridors of Haryana's State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and its regional units are of late abuzz with activity, driven by expansion, modernisation and technical upgrade. According to top state police officers involved in enhancing its efficiency, the FSL's role is vital in implementing the three new criminal laws as the fate of cases depends on forensic evidence. Over the past 21 months, the laboratory has seen promising improvements in manpower augmentation and equipment strengthening. For instance, the Haryana FSL's workforce before August 16, 2023, was a modest 351 posts with only 167 officials posted actively. Today, the number of sanctioned posts has leapt to 599 - a 70.7% increase - while the number of officials posted has gone up by 104.8% to 342. FSL officials say this reflects the administrative will to boost forensic infrastructure and progress in recruitment and deployment. Official records show 257 posts sanctioned in December 2024 and February 2025 are currently under active recruitment and expected to be filled shortly. "At the core of this surge is director general of police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur's vision and leadership," says OP Singh, DGP and state FSL director, highlighting how the support of the state government helped in scaling up infrastructure, talent and technology in record time. "In the past year, Haryana's FSL has seen manpower doubling and a 166% rise in advanced equipment. With the deployment of mobile forensic vans, we are now far better equipped to support evidence-based investigations. It marks a leap in scientific policing," he says. Officials say parallel to the human resource upgrade, the laboratory undertook equipment enhancements. Previously, the equipment strength across various divisions was modest. For instance, the DNA division operated with only 20 units. Post August 2023, that number surged to 92, a 360% increase. Similarly, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) division grew from two to 17 units. Four mobile forensic vans (MFVs) equipped with state-of-the-art scientific kits have redefined on-site forensic support. These vans can swiftly reach the incident site, gathering and processing evidence with precision. Overall, the laboratory's equipment capacity jumped by 166.7%. Earlier this week, DGP Kapur said Haryana's FSL is no longer just a lab, rather it has emerged as "the torchbearer of a digital revolution in the pursuit of scientific justice". Before August 2023, Haryana FSL's corridors were quiet when it came to nurturing young talent as internship programmes were virtually non-existent. With new initiatives, however, a dynamic internship programme sprang to life. A total of 149 interns, from disciplines such as BSc, MSc, BTech, and MTech, have been inducted, marking a pivotal shift in how forensic science was taught, practised and refined. Officials say these internships are designed not merely as short-term engagements but as deep dives into the practical world of forensic investigation....