Karnataka considers improved benefits for scene-of-crime officers

Karnataka’s Police Complaints Authority and police have recommended improved service benefits for Scene of Crime Officers, including a 13th-month salary and 15 days of casual leave. The proposal is intended to address concerns about workload, staffing and differences between the benefits available to SOCOs and regular police personnel. The recommendation followed a representation by Mohan Kumar Danappa, a member of the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority.

He asked the Home Department to review what he described as a disparity in service conditions. SOCOs attached to the State Forensic Science Laboratory examine crime scenes and collect, preserve and document evidence. Danappa said their duties required them to respond at any time, including weekends and public holidays, in a manner comparable to police work.

He noted that SOCOs currently receive 10 days of casual leave, while police personnel receive 15 days as well as a 13th-month salary. Acting on the representation, Additional Director-General of Police P. Harishekaran forwarded a memorandum recommending favourable consideration of the proposal.

The recommendation comes amid a reported shortage of forensic officers. Karnataka requires about 800 SOCOs but has had only around 201 serving since 2020, according to the report. In Bengaluru, 24 officers cover crime scenes across 11 police divisions.

Department sources said SOCOs routinely attend four or five cases a day in each division, including unnatural deaths, narcotics cases, murders and other serious offences. Sources also alleged that some officers face delays in receiving salaries and lack several benefits available to police personnel. They warned that the staffing gap could affect the quality of crime-scene examination and evidence collection.