Nagpur: A major controversy has resurfaced around the 2019 firing incident involving BJP Leader and former Nagpur Mayor Sandeep Joshi, a close aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Two assistant professors from the Government Institute of Forensic Science (GIFS), Nagpur are now facing investigation for allegedly violating official protocol while visiting the crime scene without authorization.
According to reports, unidentified assailants had opened three rounds of gunfire at Joshi’s vehicle on December 18, 2019, in what was described as a life-threatening attack. Joshi and his family escaped unharmed.
In the aftermath, Assistant Professors Ashish Badiye and Neeti Kapoor from GIFS reportedly visited the crime scene without seeking prior approval from the institute’s director — a move that has now come under official scrutiny.
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Officials allege that both faculty members, who lacked practical field experience in forensic investigations, were not authorized to handle or collect evidence from such a sensitive site. Their visit, authorities claim, not only breached administrative procedure but also risked compromising evidence integrity in a high-profile criminal case.
Sources further stated that both professors have no prior experience working in active forensic laboratories, and their expertise is limited to academic knowledge rather than on-ground investigation work.
A three-member departmental inquiry committee, led by Dr. Santosh Chavan, Joint Director of Higher Education, has been constituted to probe the matter. The committee will examine whether the professors acted beyond their jurisdiction and if their actions brought disrepute to the government.
The inquiry follows formal complaints that the two officials neglected official duties and damaged the credibility of the state forensic institute by overstepping professional limits in a politically sensitive case.
