With terror threats high on the security agenda, a specialised course called the “Investigation of Terrorist Crimes and Post-Blast Cases” has been started at the Central Detective Training School (CDTS) in Chandigarh to train security personnel on how to deal with the aftermath of an attack.

The first training course, conducted last month, was attended by police teams from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Srinagar and Jammu. “Most of the policemen chosen for the course were Science graduates, of the rank of Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors,” said a Delhi Police officer.

“At CDTS, we train police officers from various states. Post-blast investigations these days are a vital part of training, which every police officer must go through,” says Rajesh Kumar, a Maharashtra cadre IPS officer who is posted as principal, CDTS, at present.

While the Scientific Investigation course lasts for 13 weeks, the duration of the Crime Scene Investigation course is just one week. Besides, there are also courses on investigation of computer crimes and scientific interrogation.

“The police officers attending the post-blast investigation course are also given lectures on the forensic aspect of the investigation. The officers need to know how to preserve the scene of crime after a blast has occurred so that the evidence, which the forensic experts can collect, are not destroyed due to commotion in the area,” said a senior forensic expert at the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL), who is a guest faculty at CDTS.

The faculty chosen for imparting training on a specific topic are police officers and forensic experts who are considered experts in their field.

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