Forensics, body and state power in South Asia: Recent interventions and their importance

Abstract

Forensics were introduced in South Asia during the colonial rule as “scientific” practices to procure “reliable” forms of evidence. Their ostensible goal was to protect innocents and to punish wrong-doers. In the recent decades, however, forensics have become notorious for their repressive character. Is there something wrong with forensics? Is there some problem with the practice or there is a fundamental problem in the manner in which forensics were conceptualized and introduced during the colonial rule. With a critical reading of the recent historiography of forensics, where it has been suggested that forensics had devastating impact on the lives of colonial subjects, this article explores the relationship between forensics, bodies, and state-power. The article suggests that repression is embedded in the idea of forensics, and the history of forensics is a story of abuse, violence, and repression.