From Mandate To Metrics: Measuring Early BNSS Forensic Compliance In Maharashtra
- IJLLR Journal
- Sep 3
- 1 min read
Ishaan D. Joshi, CFPSE CFMLE, University of Edinburgh Law School
ABSTRACT
India’s Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) mandates forensic expert attendance and videography at crime scenes for offences punishable by seven years or more, with reports of government scientific experts read into evidence under BNSS §329 alongside electronic-record safeguards in the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) §63. This policy-implementation study specifies how to measure early compliance in Maharashtra during 2024–26 by joining police First Information Report (FIR) and charge-sheet metadata with Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories (DFSL) routing and turnaround logs through ICJS/CCTNS and e-Forensics linkages. We define auditable indicators—trigger share, scene-visit and videography flags, §63 certificate attachment, DFSL routing within specified time bounds, median laboratory turnaround, and trial-court “read-in” rates under §329— and propose district-level dashboards. Methodologically, we combine descriptive analytics with difference-in-differences and event-study designs exploiting phased deployment of mobile forensic vans and staged laboratory capacity additions. Year-one public signals (state procurement and initial operation of mobile forensic vans; expansion of RFSL capacity) suggest substantive movement toward routine scene attendance and faster exhibit flow, though statutory commencement may depend on state notification timelines. Anticipated bottlenecks include uneven van staffing, division- wise bench constraints, and variable §63 documentation quality; we outline mitigation via practice directions, template certificates, and quarterly DFSL performance disclosure. The contribution is a replicable, legally grounded measurement framework that converts the BNSS mandate into observable file-level behaviours—allowing Maharashtra’s criminal-justice agencies to monitor, compare and improve forensic engagement in serious crime investigations while reducing adjournments and evidentiary disputes in trial courts.
Keywords: BNSS compliance, Maharashtra DFSL, crime-scene videography, ICJS/CCTNS integration, BSA §63
