Led by Dr Onkar Mondhe, the team included Aman Kumar Yadav, Anshuman Rao and Kavita Goyal. The evaluation was carried out in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards, which are critical to ensuring the quality, accuracy and legal admissibility of forensic evidence within the criminal justice system.
The assessors examined laboratory procedures, quality manuals and calibration methods to verify compliance with national and international benchmarks. They also observed live testing processes, inspected equipment and audited the chain of custody of records.
The team reviewed multiple disciplines at the Regional Forensic Science Lab, Mandi, including Chemistry and Toxicology, Physics and Ballistics, Biology and Serology and DNA analysis. Assessments covered methods used to identify poisons, alcohol, narcotics and petroleum products, as well as chemical residue analysis and calibration of equipment such as GC-MS.
In the Ballistics and Physics sections, procedures for examining firearms, bullets, glass, soil, paint and electrical short-circuit cases were evaluated. The Biology and Serology division was assessed for its handling and identification of biological samples, including blood, semen, saliva, hair, bones and teeth, along with specialised diatom analysis in drowning cases.