PANAJI
Goa may soon strengthen its forensic testing capacity with the likely addition of two more advanced drug detection machines.
The State government is in the process of acquiring two Randox machines – one for the South Goa District Hospital, Margao, and another for the State Forensic Science Laboratory in Verna.
The machines, manufactured by UK-based Randox, are capable of detecting narcotic drugs from the human blood and body fluid samples with high sensitivity.
The Goan has learnt that until recently, the admissibility of such technology-based reports in courts was uncertain due to provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). But the reports are now admissible in courts under the new law.
"With the introduction of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and a July 2025 recommendation from the Directorate of Prosecution, the reports are now recognised as admissible evidence in criminal trials," Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar, Associate Professor in Forensic Medicine, GMC and presently posted at South Goa District Hospital told The Goan.
The technology, known as Biochip ImmunoAssay, can identify traces of around 29 different drugs, including those often missed by conventional forensic methods.
“Advantage of this technology, over traditional methods used at Forensic Science Laboratory, is that it is a very sensitive technology to detect even the traces of drugs, which are usually missed in traditional methods used in Forensic Science Laboratories. Second advantage of this technology is that these machines can be installed in hospital laboratories and they generate results in quick time,” Ghodkirekar said.
The GMC first introduced this equipment in 2014 under the name Forensic Investigator with support from then chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Last year, the machine was replaced under a buyback policy with the upgraded “Multistat” model.
