Centre asks states to preserve blasts sites for investigations

New Delhi, Nov 20 (UNI) The Centre has asked state governments to take steps to preserve the places where blasts or terror attacks happen through proper cardoning off so that crucial forensic evidence were not lost as it may affect further investigations.

In a communication sent to all the state governments and Union Territories recently, the Home Ministry has impressed upon the need for preserving these blasts sites by proper police deployment.

It has also reiterated the guidelines that needed to be observed while handling such situation as many a times unexploded IEDs at these sites here required to be defused.

The Centre has sent the directives in view of the recent experience when it was found that people who had nothing to do with investigations, including those from electronic media, flood the scence of blasts and crucial forensic evidence were lost.

The Ministry has asked the state administrations to take care of the blasts sites by putting up barricades and sufficient deployment of police personnel till the investigaiton process was complete.

The communication had apparently been sent on the request of the National Security Guards (NSG) whose team was supposed to first reach the spot and collect samples from the sites which was properly tested and used for future investigation. However, during the recent blasts at many places, NSG teams found that the many people were allowed on the blasts sites due to which proper investigations were not possible.

The guidelines for handling blasts, which were earlier sent on February 25 this year, were also reiterated signalling to the state government that any carelessness in handling investigations of the terror incidents would not be tolerated.

UNI AJ JT KN1834