Forensic labs power UP’s crackdown on organized crime

Lucknow : In a major stride toward justice through scientific precision, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has overhauled its forensic infrastructure, empowering law enforcement with stronger evidence and enabling tougher action against criminals under its zero-tolerance policy.

Over the past eight years, Uttar Pradesh has set up state-of-the-art forensic labs that have been instrumental in securing convictions in over 75,000 cases. These facilities have ensured that even hardened criminals and mafias—once acquitted for lack of evidence—now face the full force of the law.

Before 2017, the state had only four forensic labs located in Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, and Ghaziabad—limiting access to forensic testing across many districts. However, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, eight new labs have been set up in Jhansi, Kannauj, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Gonda, Aligarh, and Moradabad, taking the total number to 12 functional labs.

Further expansion is already underway, with six more labs being rapidly developed in Ayodhya, Bareilly, Banda, Azamgarh, Mirzapur, and Saharanpur, aiming to extend scientific support to every region of the state. This forensic boost has had a direct impact on the pace and quality of criminal investigations and prosecutions. Compared to 2022, the year 2023 witnessed a significant increase in the number of cases resolved through forensic labs.

Under its zero-tolerance policy towards crime, the Yogi government has also achieved several major milestones and gained national recognition for its efforts. Uttar Pradesh has been connected to a high-speed fingerprint database server under the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). According to the NCRB in New Delhi, the state now ranks first in the country in fingerprint enrollment. So far, over 4.14 lakh fingerprints have been successfully registered.

This reflects Uttar Pradesh’s effective use of technology to gather evidence and build digital criminal records. Investigations are now faster, and crime control has markedly improved. The Yogi government has also strengthened coordination with the Centre for NAFIS operations, enabling real-time fingerprint analysis across districts through a state-level server. Special training has been provided to officers and technical staff to support this system.

New technologies have also been adopted to analyze biological samples based on the latest standards like BNS, BNSS, and BSA-2023, improving the validity and reliability of evidence.

In the newly established forensic labs, scientists are continuously conducting research and testing, helping the justice system make faster and more fact-based decisions. Scientific evidence is playing a key role in prosecuting cases like murder, rape, theft, and cybercrime.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath believes that a zero-tolerance policy against crime and criminals can succeed only when backed by strong technical support and scientific evidence. That’s why the state has not only expanded its network of forensic labs, but also equipped them with the latest technology and skilled staff.

The modernization and expansion of forensic labs have strengthened law and order in Uttar Pradesh. It has led to faster convictions and a more efficient and evidence-based judicial process. This effort by the Yogi government has not only curbed crime, but also increased public trust in the legal system.