HC Direct Delhi Govt To Renovate Room For Brain Fingerprinting Facility in FSL, Rohini, Within Six Months [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court has directed the Public Works Department of the Delhi government to complete within six weeks renovation of a single room in FSL, Rohini, for making functional the brain-fingerprinting facility even as the agency claimed it will take 3-4 months.

A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani ordered that the work be completed in six weeks.

The court said so while hearing of a plea of a labourer whose four-and-a-half-year-old child has been missing since August 4, 2018.

The father, through his advocates Pulkit Prakash and Rajeev Ranjan, said he suspected a fellow labourer of kidnapping his son for launda naach", a practice where boys are dressed up as girls for performance in marriage ceremonies and then exploited sexually.

The child was last seen in the company of a juvenile (now a juvenile in conflict with law).

It was while tracking the progress made in the probe that the bench learnt about JCL's mother and sister having given their consent to undergo narco-analysis. The same, however, was much delayed as they were to be taken to FLS in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, which is the only FLS with narco test facility in India. The Director of Gujarat FSL has now recommended that both the persons be produced there after six months.

The bench had then directed the Delhi government to procure a narco test machine for FSL, Rohini.

The government informed the court due to efforts of the high court in other writ petitions wherein it has been monitoring the upgrade of facilities at the FSL in Delhi, steps have been taken by the government to procure a brain-mapping machine but a narco test machine has yet to be procured.

It also submitted that the PWD will take 3-4 months in renovating a room in FSL, Rohini, for installing the brain-mapping machine.

"…regarding procurement and instalment of a Brain Fingerprinting System in Delhi, a separate affidavit has been filed by the Director, FSL, GNCTD, Delhi stating inter alia that the said System has been procured from USA and the work of installation and specific modification has been taken up with the PWD. Learned Standing Counsel (Crl.) submits that a letter dated 28.9.2018 was issued to the PWD for the renovation of room No.21 in the FSL premises for installing the Brain Fingerprinting System but the PWD officials have stated that it will take about 3-4 months for completing the said work.

"Considering that only one room is required to be renovated within the premises of FSL, Rohini, Delhi, the aforesaid timeline appears to be quite unreasonable. PWD is directed to complete the work within six weeks from today. Compliances shall be made and a report shall be filed by the Principal Secretary, PWD before the next date," the bench ordered.

The matter is now listed for May 20. 

Read the Order Here