In 1974, Dr Rukmani Krishnamurthy entered Mumbai’s Forensic Science Lab. On day one, her boss asked, “What would a lady do in FSL?” She spent the next 40 years answering that.
In the 1993 Mumbai blasts, she led the explosives team. Twenty scientists. Three sleepless months. Their forensic report was so precise, it was later praised by Interpol Lyon.
Her cases weren’t just high-profile. They were brutal, unsolved, and urgent. The Matunga train fire. Dowry deaths. The Neeraj Grover murder. She brought science to scenes where only speculation existed.
In court, a lawyer once called her Chemistry degree fake. She didn’t flinch. She explained how kerosene’s composition varies by region. The judge listened. So did the entire courtroom.
When she became Director of Maharashtra’s FSL, she transformed it. She built six labs. Brought in DNA testing, cyber forensics, brain mapping, long before most knew the terms.
She rose to become Director General at the national level. Leading India’s forensic services wasn’t just a job. It was a mission: to link science with justice.
She’s won over 10 national and international awards. She says what matters most is that her work made a difference
A biopic on her life is now underway. But Dr. Rukmani Krishnamurthy doesn’t need a film to be remembered. She rewrote the rules. She stood her ground. And she left every crime lab better than she found it.