Police stations across country will get rape kits

New Delhi: All police stations across the country will now be equipped with Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits (SAECK) or “rape investigation kits” in order to collect blood and semen samples in addition to other important evidence to initiate immediate investigation into cases sexual assault.

These kits will help investigating officers to start immediate medico-legal investigation and help provide further evidence in cases of sexual assault and rape.

As part of the pilot project, in the initial phase, as many as 3,960 such kits will procured by the Union home ministry and all states and Union Territories will be provided 100 each of these SAECK. While Rs 79.20 lakh would be spent on procuring the kits as part of the pilot project, an additional Rs 4.91 crore will be spent to train police officers and other medical staff of local hospitals in their area of jurisdiction. The kits will have all the essential items required in providing crucial evidence such as blood and semen samples in such cases. The kit will contain a set of test tubes and bottles, with details of contents and specifications along with instructions on collection of evidence from the crime scene. The kits will then be sent to the closest forensic laboratory to provide the results within two months. Initially, at least three kits will be provided to each of the 15,640 police stations in the country after which the number would be gradually increased. The cost would be shared jointly by the Centre and the respective states.