Fingerprint is an impression of friction ridges of fingers which is a unique in every individual. The fundamental principle is that fingerprint is an individual characteristic which illustrates that no two individuals possess exact fingerprint pattern. The fingerprint pattern will remains the same throughout the life of a person however; in some circumstances the print may change due to permanent scar or injury or any other skin disease. Each individual possess have general characteristic ridge patterns that allow them to systematically classified.
In criminal investigation era, the fingerprint is the corroborative evidence which is frequently encountered at the crime scene as compared to DNA traces. Not every crime scene contains pool or spatters of blood or any other biological fluid, but it has been touched by someone. The three types of fingerprint could be found at the crime scene are: – Latent, Patent and Plastic Prints. Latent prints are extremely difficult to identify as they are not visible with naked eye. They are mostly detected by performing chemical techniques. Patent prints are visible prints that are easily be identified as such prints are left in a substance like blood, paint, grease etc whereas plastic prints are left over the soft substances like mud, soap, wet putty etc. Therefore; it is an important role of forensic fingerprint expert to examine the crime scene carefully. The forensic fingerprint expert must use his exceptional knowledge in identification, evaluation and analysis of a fingerprint.
The fingerprints are mostly found in theft and burglary cases. Such cases are frequently encountered by police personnels and forensic fingerprint expert. It is not necessary that every time the whole fingerprint is found at the crime scene, there are times when partial prints could be encountered. This is the challenging phase for forensic fingerprint expert to examine individual characteristics of a fingerprint and to compare with the comparative samples. In burglary and theft cases, the fingerprints may be found above, below, inside or outside of almirahs, lockers, drawers, cupboards, office desks, currency etc. such fingerprints are said to be latent prints. As these prints are not visible with naked eye, such prints often require the use of chemical reagents, fingerprint powder or alternate light sources.
After the detection of fingerprint, another challenge faced by the forensic fingerprint expert is to lift the fingerprint without any distortion.
The comparison of questioned fingerprint samples is made with the standard comparative samples by the forensic fingerprint expert. The suspect’s fingerprint is taken for personal identification with the developed latent fingerprints left at the crime scene. The comparative samples of suspect must be taken on ten-digit fingerprint card where inked fingers are taken by rolled method. The ink is spread on the plain slab with a roller until the slab is completely covered with a thin layer of ink and then rolled fingerprints of both the hands are taken on the card. After taking the prints, the prints are enhanced by high quality camera to capture the image of a print and analyze the class and individual characteristics of the fingerprint.
The characteristics that places an individual in a group or in subcategory are referred to as class characteristics whereas the features which are peculiar to one specific subject and covers the small detailing of ridge patterns called Minutiae are referred to as individual characteristics. The broad classification of class characteristics are arches, loops and whorls further these categories are sub-classified as plain arch, tented arch, radial loop, ulnar loop, plain and composite whorls. The individual characteristics which are unique to every individual are examined by forensic fingerprint expert by comparing unknown standards to the known standards.
The fingerprint examination requires immense documentation to record the details of the fingerprints which is done by note making, photography and report-making. These documents are prepared for further use in courtroom testimony.
Brilliant Forensic Investigation Pvt. Ltd. is one such private forensic science organization in Janakpuri, New Delhi, India which deals with cases related to fingerprint development and verification for the personal purpose or legal purposes pertaining to judiciary or police etc. BFI forensic organization also deals with fingerprint analysis and its verification from the documents present in judicial records. Fingerprint analyst appears in the courts as expert witness for forensic report demonstration by testimony and cross examination. The forensic services are available all across the states of India specially in the metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore,.
Mobile forensics is the branch of digital forensics or forensic science dealing with data acquisition from mobile phones or similar electronic devices like tablets, personal digital Assistant (PDA) or handheld PC and GPS devices for investigation purposes. In today’s time, most people possess mobile devices for communication by using calls, messages, MMS services. Multiple application based apps and tools are available in all android and IOS mobile devices to communicate and exchange information’s in the forms of text messages, audio files, video files, GPS locations, photos etc. The crimes using mobile technology are also increasing day by day as criminals find mobile devices as the most convenient way to commutate, exchange their plans as well as to execute digital frauds. It has become a necessity for the digital forensic experts as well as investigating officers dealing with digital fraud or digital crimes to get all the digital information’s like call history, location history, deleted files and folders, deleted chats, deleted messages, MMS, photos, videos, app data, contact lists etc. from the seized mobile devices which may lead to key role in investigation by analyzing the digital information’s. Various mobile forensic tools like UFED, Oxygen Forensic, XRY are used for the data extraction, data analysis, and report preparation.
SEIZURE
Mobile devices are generally seized in order to preserve the digital evidence and to keep the device in the same condition so as to avoid shutdown or turning off of the device by the investigating officer or digital forensic expert. Faraday bags or cases are used to keep the mobile device as these bags prevent any further cellular connection or any communication with the device. The mobile device is kept in airplane mode to prevent further alteration or activities. The investigation officer would risk user lock activation.
Data acquisition is the process of gathering information from mobile devices and their associated media. This process reduces the chance of data loss due to damage or battery depletion during storage and transportation. Mobile device identification is necessary at the beginning of the forensic examination.
The data can be gathered from mobile devices in two different ways:
What type of digital evidences can be extracted from the Mobile Devices?
However, the collection of this information depends on the policies of the concerned states.
Following cables or connectors are used to connect the mobile device to work station:-
Forensic Tools Classification System:- Forensic specialists or forensic analysts must understand the several types of forensic tools. The classification offers a framework for forensic analysts to compare the acquisition techniques used by different forensic tools to capture data.
Tools: –
b)Logical and Physical Extraction: – The investigators connect the cellular device to a forensic work station or hardware via Bluetooth, RJ – 45 cable or USB cable. The computer using a logical and physical extraction tool sends a series of commands to the mobile device. As a result, the required data is collected from the phone’s memory and sent back to the forensic work station for analysis purposes.
List of Forensic Tools: –
Tools: –
Tools: –
Our organization deals with cases related to mobile forensics like data extraction from mobile devices, memory cards and cloud data for the personal purpose or legal purposes pertaining to judiciary or police etc. our forensic organization also provides training in the field of mobile forensics using digital forensic UFED tool. Our Mobile forensic expert appears in the courts as an expert witness for forensic report demonstration by testimony and cross-examination. The forensic services are available all across the states of India especially in the metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore etc.
Handwriting Forensics is the comparative examination between a disputed handwriting and a standard handwriting sample of a suspected writer. Handwriting features of class and individual characteristics or specific writing habits of suspected writers are comprehensively compared for similarities or dissimilarities with the known handwriting sample. “Handwriting is known as brainwriting”. The handwriting is central to the person’s identity. Each person writes in his own unique way which represents the individual characteristic. It is a fact noted by handwriting analysts that most handwriting characters appear similar in some person writing as they learn the same way of constructing and forming the letters in a school. But over the period of time, a person possesses certain individual characteristics in his handwriting which differentiates his handwriting from others.
The credibility of handwriting is questioned when any individual tries to forge or alters the genuine handwriting of a writer. Here comes the role of a forensic handwriting and signature expert who analyze and make comparison between disputed and genuine handwriting samples which are mainly admitted and specimen samples of the writer. The handwriting analysis is a science-based on a notion that no two persons write exactly the same in extended handwriting. The other scientific notion is that not a single individual writes exactly the same all the time. The natural variations always exist in the person’s handwriting as hand cannot work like a rubber stamp. Handwriting is a complex act, highly developed skill, and recurring habit of an individual. The primary purpose of a forensic handwriting and signature expert is to analyze and find the differences in the writing habits between the disputed handwriting or signature exhibits and its contemporary comparative samples.
The forensic handwriting examiners are highly trained and specialized in the field of forensic handwriting analysis and verification. They use intense knowledge and scientific methods to determine the authenticity of a questioned handwriting sample. The questioned handwriting samples need to be compared with the standard handwriting samples. There are certain writing features known as class and individual characteristics that need to be taken into consideration for handwriting verification. Such writing characteristics include movement of the hand, the formation of letters, relative size and proportion of letters and words, interspacing between letters, connecting strokes, slant, alignment, line quality, style, pen pressure, shading, pen position, natural variations, etc are to be examined carefully.
There are times when a writer himself camouflages his own handwriting. The writer deliberately changes his own handwriting by changing the slant of letters, size, and proportion of letters, consciously constructs odd letters, and may deceive other tactics to conceal his handwriting identity. The other challenge in handwriting analysis relates to the simulation which is an attempt to copy another person’s handwriting. The forger tries to make a similar model of the signature on various documents like a Will, invoice, business memorandums, sale deeds, property papers, sale-rent agreements, medical certificates, mark sheets, etc. In such a situation, the forensic handwriting and signature examiner must take sufficient standard samples of suspect in order to make conclusive opinion. The standards (exemplars) must be taken in the court of law. Sometimes, while taking the specimen, the suspect consciously tries to alter or disguise his handwriting so the specimen must be taken on multiple sheets, at different writing speeds to avoid any manipulation or disguising efforts made by him. The comparative sample must not be shown to the specimen writer; the specimen must be taken by dictating it.
Sometimes, the forensic handwriting and signature expert may face a challenging phase in the analysis of anonymous handwriting in cases of threatening letters, extortion money letters, harassment notes, blackmailing letters, or notes where the writer is unknown. In such situations, the forensic expert can infer that whether such anonymous notes or letters are written by some closed one’s who are either jealous or feel competitive or rejected lovers whose intention is to torture, harass mentally, defaming, etc.
Therefore; the advancement of the forgers in performing different tactics gives a lesson to the forensic handwriting and signature experts that they must upgrade their skills and knowledge to mark the conclusive analysis and their opinion based on different cases. If any person feels cheated, by way of forgery or disguised he must consult to forensic investigation expert to get the opinion.
Brilliant Forensic Investigation Pvt. Ltd. is one such private forensic science organization in Janakpuri, New Delhi, India which deals with cases related to handwriting and signature analysis, signature verification, anonymous, or miscellaneous handwritings analysis for the personal purpose or legal purposes pertaining to judiciary or police, etc. The forensic services are available all across the states of India.
-Ravshish Kaur Kohli