HNLU Concludes Two-Day International Conference On “Interface Of Forensic Science & Law: Shaping The Future Of Criminal Justice In India”

Inaugural Session

Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan, Vice-Chancellor, HNLU, in his opening remarks outlined the symbiotic relationship of Law with Science in delivering Justice based on 'Evidence based Truth' and urged the Forensic Science Centre to start 'Forensic Law Labs' to integrate the 'Law and Science' discipline in the backdrop of the technological advancements.

The Chief Guest, Dr. Arneet Arora, Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS Bhopal, highlighted the pivotal role of forensic science in strengthening India's justice delivery system and called for ethically grounded scientific integration into judicial processes. The Guest of Honour, Dr. T. L. Chandra, Joint Director, SFSL Raipur, underscored the importance of technological modernization in ensuring accuracy and reliability in criminal investigations.

The inaugural session also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU between HNLU and SFSL Raipur, aimed at promoting academic collaboration, joint research, and capacity building in law, forensic science, and criminal justice. The MoU was signed by Dr. Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Registrar, HNLU, and Dr. T. L. Chandra, Joint Director, SFSL, in the august presence of Vice-Chancellor and other dignitaries.

Technical Sessions and Academic Participation

The two-day event featured 19 technical sessions, chaired by 38 experts representing leading institutions such as SFSL, NFSU, RGNUL, NLU Sonepat, the Department of Home (Government of Chhattisgarh), and other reputed universities and law schools.

Out of over 340 abstract submissions, around 140 research papers were selected for presentation by 170 participants across four thematic tracks:

1. Legal Admissibility and Evidentiary Value of Forensic Evidence
2. Bridging Science and Justice: Innovations in Criminal Investigation and Behavioural Analysis

3. Legislative and Policy Framework

4. Capacity Building, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and Ethical Considerations

The conference drew participation from across India — including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Haryana, Kerala, and Delhi — as well as international delegates. Papers were received from National Law Universities, forensic science institutions, and universities such as Symbiosis International and Alliance University, reflecting the event's wide academic resonance.

Panel Discussion

The valedictory session featured a Panel Discussion on “Forensics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Reimagining Justice, Privacy, and Truth”, with Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan, Mr. R. Muralidharan, Senior Advocate, Bengaluru, and Dr. Deepak Kumar Srivastava as panelists. The discussion underlined that while Artificial Intelligence may redefine evidentiary processes, the foundational principles of fairness, liberty, and human dignity must remain at the heart of justice. The discussions focussed on the rapidly evolving interface between AI-driven forensic tools, digital evidence, and the need for constitutional safeguards.The session, moderated by Mr. Abhinav K. Shukla, faculty and co convenor of the conference.
The Inaugural session had Mr. Abhinav K. Shukla welcoming the gathering and the concluding session had Dr. Vishnu Konooryar welcoming the gathering with Dr Pankaj Umbarkar, Programme Director presenting the report of the conference and Mr Jeevan Sagar, Faculty and Co-convenor of the programme rendering a vote of thanks. The Conference had the faculty team of Dr. Pankaj Umbarkar, Mr. Abhinav K. Shukla, Dr. Priyanka Mohod, Dr. Parvesh Kumar Rajput, Dr Eritrea Roy and Mr. Jeevan Sagar, and ably assisted by the Student team of Vishrut, Palak Saini, Aditya Tandon, Preeti Talreja, Sanvi Agarwal, Kruthika, Vedika, Shrayana, and Sridhar.

The Conference has laid the foundation of advancing the Forensics Law segment for an criminal justice delivery system as part of the Research Hub & Spoke (R-HaS) initiative of HNLU in the days to come.