Karnataka Deploys 32 Mobile Forensic Vans to Every District, Bringing Crime Labs Straight to the Crime Scene
CM D.K. Shivakumar flags off the ₹20.40-crore fleet at Vidhana Soudha — equipped for on-site fingerprinting, biological evidence recovery, and digital forensics — in one of India's largest state-level mobile forensics rollouts this year.
Karnataka has taken a major step toward on-the-spot scientific crime investigation with the launch of 32 state-of-the-art Mobile Forensic Vans, dedicated to district police units across the state. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar flagged off the fleet — alongside 75 new Bolero vehicles for district police — at a ceremony held on the steps of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
The initiative, driven by the Karnataka Home Department along with the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL), is aimed at bringing forensic examination capability directly to the crime scene rather than routing every case through a fixed laboratory — a shift expected to cut delays, reduce evidence contamination, and strengthen the evidentiary chain that eventually reaches the courts.
What the New Vans Bring to a Crime Scene
According to the Home Department, the newly commissioned vehicles are equipped with advanced forensic examination equipment and digital triage facilities, allowing investigating teams to perform preliminary scientific analysis without waiting for samples to reach a central or regional laboratory. Broadly, the vans are designed to support:
- Immediate crime scene documentation — high-resolution photography and on-site recording of the scene before it can be disturbed or contaminated.
- Evidence preservation — standardised packaging, labelling, and chain-of-custody protocols applied at the point of collection itself.
- Fingerprint collection — lifting and preliminary examination of latent prints directly at the scene.
- Biological evidence collection — recovery of blood, tissue, and other biological trace material under controlled conditions to prevent degradation.
- Digital evidence seizure — forensically sound acquisition of digital devices and data, supported by the vans' digital triage tools.
By consolidating these functions into a single mobile unit, the department expects fewer weak links in the evidence chain — a factor that has historically been cited in cases where scientific evidence was contested or diluted by the time it reached trial.
The Ceremony and Official Statements
Speaking after the launch, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar described the new fleet as a significant boost for the state police department and used the occasion to caution officers against corrupt practices, warning that strict action would follow any officer found engaging in "deals" or criminal conduct. He also announced a ₹10-lakh reward for the police team behind a recent drug-network bust, tying the forensic upgrade to the state's broader law-and-order push.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge, whose department oversees the Directorate of FSL, said forensic laboratories play a crucial role in ensuring the swift and scientific investigation of criminal cases and reaffirmed the state government's commitment to modernising forensic infrastructure. He added that regional forensic science laboratories in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, and Kalaburagi are being strengthened in parallel, alongside continuous training for forensic personnel, adoption of advanced scientific tools, and closer coordination between police, forensic experts, and the judiciary.
Funding and Scale
The 32 mobile forensic vehicles have reportedly been deployed at a cost of approximately ₹20.40 crore, with support from the central government. The move aligns with the Union Government's broader push to modernise state forensic capacity nationwide, including the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES) and the Scheme for Modernization of Forensic Capacities — both aimed at expanding forensic science laboratories, personnel, and rapid-response infrastructure across Indian states.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date of launch | Saturday, July 11, 2026 |
| Venue | Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru |
| Launched by | CM D.K. Shivakumar |
| Key official | Priyank Kharge, Home Minister |
| Mobile forensic vans | 32 units, for district police units statewide |
| Support vehicles | 75 Bolero vehicles |
| Approximate cost | ₹20.40 crore (with central assistance) |
| Core capabilities | Scene documentation, fingerprint & biological evidence collection, digital evidence triage |
| Regional FSLs strengthened | Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi |
| Nature of update | Policy / infrastructure deployment, not tied to a specific case |
Karnataka in the National Mobile-Forensics Push
Karnataka's rollout follows a pattern seen across several Indian states in the past year, as forensic modernisation gathers pace under central schemes. Chhattisgarh deployed 32 mobile forensic vans of its own earlier this year, Maharashtra has approved a state-wide plan for 259 vans, and Gujarat's NFSU-backed mobile units have been operating in select districts. Karnataka's Directorate of FSL has separately been highlighted by the state government for cutting report turnaround times from as long as 40 months to just one-to-four months in several divisions — a reduction officials attribute to sustained investment in laboratory technology and personnel training.
Union government support for such deployments is largely channelled through the ₹2,254.43-crore National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES), approved to run from 2024-25 to 2028-29, and the parallel Scheme for Modernization of Forensic Capacities. Both are intended to expand the forensic workforce and equip Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories with modern infrastructure nationwide.
The Bigger Picture
This deployment is not linked to any single criminal case — it is a state infrastructure and policy update. Its significance lies in what it signals for the future of investigation in Karnataka: a shift from centralised, laboratory-dependent forensic examination toward a distributed, first-response model where trained personnel and equipment reach the scene while evidence is still fresh. For a state that already positions its Directorate of FSL among the more advanced in the country, the addition of 32 mobile units extends that scientific capability into every district, rather than concentrating it in a handful of regional labs.
Officials have indicated that continuous training for personnel operating the new vans, along with further capacity building at the regional laboratories in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, and Kalaburagi, will follow as part of the same modernisation drive.
Sources & Further Reading
- The Hans India — "No 'deals' with criminals: CM warns cops" (July 12, 2026)
- Country and Politics — "CM D.K. Shivakumar Flags Off 32 Mobile Forensic Labs, 75 New Police Vehicles" (July 11, 2026)
- Eesanje News — Mobile forensic vehicle deployment report, Kannada (July 11, 2026)
- Samyukta Karnataka — Karnataka Police vehicle induction ceremony report
- Social News XYZ — Inauguration photo gallery (July 11, 2026)
- Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories, Karnataka — Official Mobile Forensic Section
- Asianet Newsable — Karnataka FSL capacity-building coverage
