Forensic Criminology, Crime Investigation, and Internal Security Forces: The Indian Perspective

The evolving landscape of crime and security threats in India necessitates scientific, multidisciplinary, and evidence-based approaches to criminal investigation. Contemporary investigations increasingly involve complex crimes that are shaped by technological developments, digital evidence, and behavioural factors, highlighting the need for integrated criminological, forensic, and psychological expertise. Forensic criminology thus emerges as an interdisciplinary paradigm linking criminology with forensic science, forensic psychology, digital forensics, and investigative practice. This paper investigates the role and rising importance of forensic criminology in crime investigation and its potential contributions to internal security forces and investigative agencies in India. Emphasis is given to forensic psychology, specifically behavioural analysis, investigative psychology, victimology, eyewitness testimony, and psychological techniques in investigation. The discussion extends to India’s expanding forensic infrastructure and institutional initiatives, such as the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES), the advancement of DNA and cyber-forensic capabilities, and the growth of forensic education and training. The study uses a qualitative, conceptual-analytical method, based on a narrative review of scholarly literature from secondary sources (including government reports and legislative documents), to explore how forensic criminology relates to the process of investigating crimes and maintaining internal security in India; and proposes the Integrated Forensic Criminological Investigation Model (IFCIM) as an organizational structure for coordinating multiple disciplines. The analysis further identifies challenges related to forensic capacity, technological requirements, inter-agency collaboration, professional training, and cognitive biases in investigation. Ultimately, the paper argues that a multidisciplinary forensic-criminological framework can reinforce current investigative mechanisms and promote more systematic, evidence-based strategies for crime investigation and internal security in India.

Forensic Criminology; Crime Investigation; Internal Security Forces; Forensic Psychology; Criminal Investigation; Digital Forensics; Behavioural Analysis; Internal Security; India; Law and Order

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