Rajasthan High Court Asks State To Consider Establishing Well-Equipped Investigation Labs For Expeditious Criminal Probes
Nupur Agrawal
28 May 2026 9:30 PM IST
The Rajasthan High Court held that in the current era of rapid pace, where criminals were adopting the latest and advanced techniques to commit crimes, the investigation mechanism of the police has to be strengthened with modern and well-equipped Investigation Labs that have adequate scientific facilities.
The bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand highlighted the unavailability of such labs in Rajasthan and the resulting reliance of the State Police on reports and analysis from labs situated in other states. It was opined that this causes unnecessary delays, thereby violating the right of fair investigation and speedy trial.
“Latest Investigating Labs are required to be established in the State of Rajasthan expeditiously having adequate infrastructure and trained stakeholders, so that the investigation can be done expeditiously and brought to its logical end at the earliest. The State is under constitutional obligation to provide adequate infrastructure for fair and speedy investigation as the delay in investigation, due to lack of adequate infrastructure for investigation, violates the right of fair investigation and speedy trial...Let a copy of this order be sent to the Chief Secretary; Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Home, Government of Rajasthan; and Director General of Police to look into the matter from all corners to develop and establish appropriate and wellequipped labs, for investigation, in the State of Rajasthan in the interest of public at large.”
The Court was hearing a petition wherein in an earlier order, it was directed that the police force shall be segregated into two wings- investigative and one for maintaining law & order.
In this regard, the ADG (Law & Order) had placed on record constitution of a committee and the recommendation report made by that committee in the form of “Proposal For Separation Of Functions Of Investigation And Law And Order At Police Station Level”.
After taking that report and the recommendations of the committee on record, the Court made the aforementioned observations, and further stated that looking at the increase in the crime-rate, the existing Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was not sufficient in the state.
The Court held that it was time to strengthen and increase the strength of the investigators/staff, so that FSL reports could be received at the earliest and conclusion report of investigation could be submitted expeditiously.
“The State is under constitutional obligations to provide adequate infrastructure for fair and speedy investigation as the delay in investigation, due to lack of adequate infrastructure for investigation, violates the right of fair investigation and speedy trial.”
Accordingly, the copy of the order was directed to be sent to the concerned authorities to look into the matter, and develop appropriate and well-equipped labs, for investigation in the state of Rajasthan in the interest of public at large.
Title: Prem Prakash Bidyasar v State of Rajasthan, and other connected matter
Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Raj) 203
