Maharashtra sanctions 220 DFSL posts to clear 40,000 pending cyber, TASI cases

With an aim to reduce the pendency of court cases involving digital evidence and help expedite criminal trials the Maharashtra government has sanctioned 220 contractual posts according to a government resolution GR issued on September 22 for the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories DFSL which is grappling with nearly 40000 pending cyber and TASI Tape Authentication and Speaker Identification casesAs forensic reports can be crucial to such criminal proceedings clearing the backlog is expected to help investigating agencies and courts receive reports faster removing one potential source of delay in trials already burdened by a huge caseloadCyber and TASI Laboratory Pic Special ArrangementRising workloadThe government cited the rising caseload and pendency before the Computer Crime Division for sanctioning additional manpower The division handles cyber and TASIrelated forensic work with the new staff tasked mainly with clearing the backlog and expediting reports to investigators and courtsThe proposal was initiated by the DFSL and approved by the HighPowered Committee on August 12 2026 followed by Finance Department proceedings on September 3 followed by the Home Departments GR on September 22The GR provides for 130 scientific officers and 90 scientific assistants for three years The appointments will be made on a contractual or outsourced basisThe 130 scientific officers classified as GroupB will receive a consolidated monthly remuneration of Rs 45000 while the 90 scientific assistants GroupC will receive Rs 35000 a monthMounting pendencyDr Vijay Thakare director Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories Maharashtra said the scale of the backlog had made additional manpower necessaryDr Vijay Thakare Director Directorate of State Forensic Science Laboratory in the Cyber Forensic and TAPSI Lab within the State Pic Special ArrangementldquoOn average we receive around 1000 cases Cyber and TASI for analysis and we already have a pendency of approximately 40000 cases Cyber and TASI The additional personnel are expected to join soon and focus on clearing the backlog and ensuring cyber and TSAI forensic reports reach investigating agencies and courts without avoidable delaysrdquo he saidThakare added that the department had conducted the Forensic Aptitude and Calibre Test FACT and FACT Plus Tier examinations a few months ago and was awaiting the governmentrsquos recruitment decision The candidates were required to be domiciled in Maharashtra and know MarathiThe GR says the 220 personnel will be deployed on a targetbased basis with their performance and contribution to reducing pendency reviewed periodicallyldquoOur first preference is to recruit students who have cleared these examinations If we fall short we will hire those who have previously worked with us on a contractual basis Our focus is to clear the pendency within the next three years Moreover all eight FSL laboratories are undergoing NABL certification while the Mumbai Cyber Forensic Laboratory has already obtained 79A cyber certification making it one of the few forensic laboratories in the country with such accreditationrdquo he saidThreeyear pushThe threeyear recruitment is therefore intended not simply to fill vacancies but to create measurable progress in clearing the forensic backlog With thousands of cases awaiting examination of digital and electronic evidence the effectiveness of the move will ultimately depend on how quickly the additional manpower translates into reports reaching investigators and courtsrdquo said the directorNot just cyber fraudThe workload handled by the Computer Crime Division and TASI units extends beyond conventional cyberfraud casesWhile Maharashtra Cyber handles investigations into cyber offences forensic laboratories examine electronic devices and digital evidence submitted by investigating agencies in a wider range of criminal casesA forensic scientist said there was a misconception that the division primarily dealt with cyberfraud cases ldquoOffences where mobile phones laptops or any electronic devices are used mdash for instance extortion sexual crimes murder attempt to murder and even POCSO cases mdash are also brought for analysisrdquo the scientist saidThe work can include examination of mobile phones laptops and other electronic devices as well as tape and voice authentication The findings are then submitted for use during criminal proceedingsFortnightly reviewThe government has also prescribed closer monitoring of pending forensic work TASI cases involving the AntiCorruption Bureau ACB will be reviewed every 15 days according to the GR The move comes amid an emphasis on reducing pendency through regular monitoring rather than merely increasing manpower