Detectives and forensics on murder crime scene collecting evidence
| Photo Credit: South_agency
Overworked and short-staffed Scene of Crime Officers (SOCOs) in Karnataka may soon receive enhanced service benefits, as both the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority and the Karnataka Police have recommended that the State government grant them a 13th-month salary and 15 days of casual leave.
The recommendation is intended to recognise the demanding nature of their work and address long-standing concerns over workload and staffing shortages.
The move follows a representation submitted by Mohan Kumar Danappa, member of the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority, who urged the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department to remove what he described as a disparity in service benefits between SOCOs and regular police personnel.
Mr. Danappa stated that SOCOs attached to the State Forensic Science Laboratory play a crucial role in criminal investigations by scientifically examining crime scenes and collecting, preserving, and documenting vital forensic evidence. Since crimes can occur at any time, they remain on duty around the clock, including on weekends and public holidays, performing responsibilities comparable to those of police personnel.
He pointed out that despite carrying out similar duties, SOCOs are currently entitled to only 10 days of casual leave, while police officers and personnel receive 15 days of casual leave in addition to the benefit of a 13th-month salary. He urged the Home Department to extend the same benefits to SOCOs.
Acting on the representation, the Additional Director-General of Police (Crime and Technical Services), P. Harishekaran, forwarded a memorandum to the State government recommending that the proposal be considered favourably.
The recommendation comes at a time when Karnataka is facing a severe shortage of Scene of Crime Officers. Although the State requires around 800 SOCOs, only about 201 SOCOs have been serving since 2020, resulting in a significant manpower deficit.
In Bengaluru, only 24 SOCOs are responsible for attending crime scenes across all 11 police divisions. The officers were originally deployed to serve eight divisions, but despite the subsequent creation of three additional divisions, no corresponding increase in manpower has been made.
Across the State, each district has only three SOCOs, while Bengaluru police divisions are staffed with just two officers each, despite the increasing volume and complexity of cases requiring forensic examination.
Department sources said SOCOs routinely attend four to five cases a day in each division, ranging from unnatural death (UDR) cases and offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to murders and other heinous crimes. Their work requires immediate response, meticulous collection and preservation of evidence, and scientific documentation, making them indispensable to criminal investigations.
Sources also alleged that SOCOs continue to face discrimination within the department. Unlike police personnel, they are not entitled to several service benefits and often experience delays in receiving their salaries.
They cautioned that the present staffing pattern cannot continue indefinitely without affecting the quality of crime scene investigation and forensic evidence collection.
Published – September 29, 2026 09:44 pm IST
