Nagpur: The Nagpur Forest Division held a specialised workshop on wildlife crimes and forensics at Harisingh Sabhagruha in Seminary Hills to mark the conclusion of Wildlife Week. The training was meant for assistant conservators of forests (ACFs), range forest officers and field staff of their ranges to build their skills in documentation, investigation, evidence handling and legal processing of wildlife crime cases.The programme was held under the guidance of deputy conservator of forests (DCF) Dr Vinita Vyas. ACFs Yash Kale (Nagpur), Govind Luche (Ramtek), Manoj Dhanvijay (Umred) and Sandeep Bharti (Katol) took part.Rajendra Dhongde, a retired ACF, guided participants on how forest department personnel should document and process wildlife offence cases.The first session covered the preparation of a panchanama, the points to be kept in mind while recording observations and preparing official documents, and the procedure for registering a primary offence report (POR). Participants were also guided on preparing a spot panchanama (mokapanchanama), recording the circumstances and condition of a crime scene, documenting seized material and maintaining case records. The session stressed that accurate, complete and legally appropriate documentation supports further investigation and prosecution.Dr Sujit Kolangath of WRTC, Nagpur, then conducted a session on collecting, preserving, packaging and documenting forensic evidence in wildlife crime cases. He explained how evidence has to be handled with care from the point of collection to its submission for forensic examination. The emphasis was on preventing contamination, keeping the evidence intact, proper labelling and sealing, and maintaining a clear chain of custody. The session also highlighted the handling of biological and other forensic material so that it remains reliable for further investigation and legal proceedings.The workshop also covered field-level investigation, including systematic collection and preservation of material, recording observations, maintaining seizure and case records, and coordination with veterinary experts, forensic laboratories and other agencies wherever required. Participants were told to follow the prescribed procedures at every stage of an investigation.
