Digievidence

This paper presents the design and implementation of a Digital Evidence Locker for Law Enforcement using secure full-stack web technologies. With the rapid growth of cybercrime and digitally generated evidence, maintaining the integrity, confidentiality, and admissibility of electronic evidence has become a critical challenge for investigative agencies.

The proposed system addresses key issues in traditional evidence handling, such as lack of cryptographic validation, weak access control, and inadequate chain-of-custody documentation. Built using React.js, Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB, the Digital Evidence Locker integrates SHA-256 hashing for tamper detection, JSON Web Token (JWT)–based authentication, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for permission enforcement, and automated audit trails to ensure forensic transparency.

The platform is developed following the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and is designed to be scalable, secure, and legally compliant. Experimental results demonstrate effective tamper detection, reliable access restriction, and accurate audit logging. The system aligns with international forensic standards such as NIST SP 800-series guidelines, ISO/IEC 27037, and complies with Section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act, making it suitable for real-world law enforcement and forensic applications.

This work contributes a practical, cost-effective, and legally sound framework for next-generation digital evidence management systems and provides a strong foundation for future enhancements such as blockchain-based immutability, biometric authentication, and AI-assisted evidence analysis.