Kochi: A vigilance special investigation team will conduct a statewide probe to inquire if the reports of chemical analysis tests carried out by government analyst laboratories are being tampered with to help the accused in various cases.

The probe has been entrusted with a special investigation team headed by Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Investigation Unit DySP Abdul Wahab which will also include four circle inspectors. It may be recalled that the high court had asked for a comprehensive probe into the matter after it came to light that a section of staff of the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Chemical Examiners laboratory had tampered with the chemical examination report in a case related to illicit liquor.

The vigilance probe will examine whether the actual results of chemical sample examination are being secretly leaked out to people concerned, are there any attempts to turn negative reports into favourable reports and whether there is widespread tampering with the reports in labs. The chemical analysis report is considered as a crucial piece of evidence in courts. The courts take action on the basis of these reports even without examining Chemical Lab Analysts. All these factors have been considered by the high court while ordering the comprehensive statewide probe.

The accused in the illicit liquor case had managed to secure an order from the high court to quash the FIR on the basis of the fake report sent from the chemical analyst laboratory to the police station and magistrate court. The police got suspicious about the laboratory report which led to the vigilance case.

The matter came to the notice of the high court when three employees of the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Chemical Examiners Laboratory came seeking anticipatory bail in the case.'