Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated the Digital Forensic Division and Advanced Equipment Laboratory at the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL – Northern Range) in Dharamshala. The facility has been developed with state-of-the-art infrastructure at a cost of nearly Rs 3 crore.

The newly established digital forensic unit is equipped with advanced tools capable of extracting and analyzing data even from damaged mobile phones. In addition, an advanced equipment laboratory has been set up at a cost of about Rs 1.05 crore, fitted with modern scientific instruments. The total cost of the equipment installed in these laboratories is approximately Rs 1.50 crore.

These facilities are expected to significantly enhance transparency, reliability, and efficiency in forensic investigations across the northern region of Himachal Pradesh. The new division will be especially useful in serious criminal cases where the punishment is seven years or more, by assisting investigating agencies in preserving crime scene evidence.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed District Panchayat Resource Centre (DPRC) building in Kangra, built at a cost of Rs 3.92 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for the District Panchayat Officer (DPO) staff residential building, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2.26 crore.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, MLA Suresh Kumar, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, and Secretary (Rural Development and Panchayati Raj) C. Paulrasu were present on the occasion.