Description

ABOUT THE BOOK

Forensic Science In Criminal Investigation under the New Law of Crimes: BNS, BNSS, BSA 2023 (with 2024-2026 updates) is a timely, practitioner oriented resource that redefines the role of forensic science in India’s criminal Justice system after the historic replacement of the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (85A 2023).

This book systematically unpacks the new forensic centric mandates embedded in the post colonial law reform framework, with a special focus on BNSS Section 176(3), which for the first time makes forensic crime scene Investigation mandatory in all offences punishable with seven years’ Imprisonment or more. It also analyses BNSS Section 349, which expands the Magistrate’s power to order collection of fingerprints, handwriting, volce samples, and other physical samples, and explains how these provisions translate Into Investigation stage SOPs, medico legal checklists, and chain of custody protocols.

The volume dedicates significant attention to electronic and digital evidence under BSA 2023, mapping the transformation of Section 51, 63, and 63(4) from the older Evidence Act plus Section 65B regime. It outlines how mobile phone data, CCTV footage, cloud stored records, and metadata are now treated as primary evidence, provided accompanied by a forensics expert certifled Part-8 report. The book Includes ready to adapt 50Ps and flowcharts for digital forensics collection, Imaging, and courtroom ready documentation, making them of direct use in police stations, cyber crime cells, and forensiclabs.

A detalled chronology tracks the Implementation timeline from 1 July 2024, highlighting the five year phased rollout of s. 176(3) BNSS, the Introduction of mobile forensic labs, the expansion of digital forensics infrastructure, and the evolving State level strategies for accrediting forensic laboratories and standardising training between 2024 and 2026. It also discusses practical Implications for Investigating officers, forensic medicine experts, prosecutors, and defence advocates, Including the risks of non compliance with forensic mandates, the evidentiary value of forensic reports in trial, and the roles and responsibilities of forensic experts in the new statutory framework.

For ease of reference, the book Includes comparison tables that align key provisions of the old IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act with their counterparts in BNS, BNSS, and BSA 2023, enabling quick transition mapping for practitioners still working under legacy understandings. Chapter wise checklists, flowcharts of forensic driven Investigation SOPs, and specimen style reporting formats further enhance its utility for field level application, court room advocacy, and academic teaching.

Sultable for police and Investigative officers, forensic medicine specialists, digital forensics analysts, prosecutors, defence lawyers, Judicial officers, and postgraduate level students in forensic science, criminology, and law, this book serves as both a systematic textbook and an operational handbook for navigating the forensic scientific dimensions of India’s new criminal lawregime.

Whether you are designing internal SOPs, appearing in trial courts, or preparing lectures and training modules, Forensic Science in Criminal Investigation under the New Law of Crimes provides the legally accurate, technically grounded, and contextually updated guidance needed to align forensic practice with the evolving landscape of Indian criminal justice from 2024 to 2026 and beyond.