Cyber and audio evidence account for most of Maharashtra’s forensic backlog

Maharashtra’s forensic laboratories carried 54,897 pending cases into September, with cyber forensics and Tape Authentication and Speaker Identification accounting for nearly three-quarters of the backlog, according to Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories data. The Cyber division had 29,666 pending cases and TASI had 9,766. Together, they represented 39,432 cases, or almost 72 per cent of the state’s total pendency.

The overall backlog fell by 1,922 cases during August. Laboratories began that month with 56,819 cases, received 24,526 and reported 26,448. However, both of the largest divisions saw their pending caseload rise.

Cyber cases increased from 29,535 to 29,666, while TASI cases rose from 9,616 to 9,766. DFSL director Vijay Thakare attributed the pressure to staffing constraints and the number of cases received compared with processing capacity. The laboratories handled about 250,000 cases last year, while current annual capacity is between 200,000 and 225,000, he said.

A new staffing framework could raise capacity to 400,000. Mumbai had the largest laboratory-level backlog, with 14,169 cases, followed by Pune, Nagpur and Nashik. Thakare said the oldest cases in the most delayed divisions dated to around 2021-22, while Biology and Toxicology reports were generally issued within 30 days.

The department is using semi-automated digital examination and has sanctioned 220 contractual posts for Cyber and TASI. It also plans broader recruitment and a revised staffing structure that would increase sanctioned positions from 1,486 to 2,761.