Crime Scene Investigation
A crime scene is a location linked with the commission of a crime. This can include the site where a crime was committed or a site where activities related to the crime took place, such as a dump site for a murder weapon or the home of a suspect.
These places contain important physical evidence which must be collected to investigate the crime, usually by forensic investigators who specialize in the management of crime scenes.
It is noted that the crime scene is not limited to a single place but may extend to a wider area depending on the nature of the crime committed. For example, in a murder case where murder is done at one place and the body is disposed on another place. In this case, two crime scenes give information about the crime.
Based on Evidence found on the crime scene:
- Primary Crime Scene
The place where the crime actually took place, or where more usable pieces of evidence were found is known as the primary crime scene. For example, a murder scene, theft, assault, etc.
- Secondary Crime Scene
The place which is some or another way related to the crime but is not a place where the actual crime is committed is known as a secondary crime scene. It may provide a strong link between the suspect and the victim.
For example, in a murder case where murder is done at one place and the body is dumped at a different place, in such a case, crime scene can provide more information in terms of evidence like cloth, fiber, hair, weapon, etc., of the suspect. This will help to trace the primary crime scene.
Based on the geographical location of the Crime Scene:
- Outdoor Crime Scene
Outdoor crime scene comprises the crimes committed in an open or wide areas like hit and run cases in road accidents, etc. The outdoor crime scene is the most vulnerable to loss, contamination, and deleterious change of physical evidence in a relatively short period of time. Individuals with access to the scene can potentially alter, destroy or contaminate evidence.
- Indoor Crime Scene
Indoor crime scene comprises the crimes committed in an enclosed or small areas like theft or burglar in a house, murder in a room, etc. Evidence at an indoor crime scene is generally less susceptible to loss, contamination, and deleterious change. Indoor crime scenes are usually easier to secure and protect, and securing a scene can be as simple as closing a door.
Mobile/Conveyance Crime Scene
- Conveyance is defined as "something that serves as a means of transportation." Types of crimes committed in conveyance include, but are not limited to.
- Vehicle Burglary
- Grand Theft
- Car Jacking
- Sexual Battery
- Homicide
Role of Investigator In Crime Scene
- A crime scene investigator approaches a crime scene with scientific perspective more often than a low enforcement one. He/She is responsible for gathering, preserving, and analyzing the evidence at the scene of crime. Crime scene investigator’s duties include, but are not limited to:
- Creating a secure perimeter around the scene and get it barricaded.
- Photographing, videography and sketching of the crime scene.
- Taking clear and relevant pictures that are easily compared to some kind of scale.
- Collecting DNA evidence like blood, saliva, hair, etc.
- Labeling each piece of evidence correctly.
- Transporting evidence
- Following the evidence through the chain of custody
- Documenting everything according to protocol.
Here at the Connectel Security Systems Private Limited (Forensic Division), the staff of skilled forensic experts are at service. We have quick response team of skilled forensic crime scene experts and our own Crime Scene Investigation Kit equipped with everything that is required for a thorough and scientific investigation of a crime scene. Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, we deliver the due quality and credibility in Forensic Crime Scene Investigation & Examination and Report generation. We maintain proper chain of custody, the team of forensic experts are skilled with handling, collection, preservation and storing of the evidences, the forensic analysis of the evidences is performed with utmost care and responsibility, the observation and results of the forensic analysis of evidence by the forensic expert remains properly documented. The Forensic Examination Report is generated by the forensic expert on the basis of the findings of the forensic analysis.
Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, our reports are admissible in the Indian Court of Law in the same category followed by the Government FSL’s who are accredited by NABL Authority. Further, we provide 65B certificate for admissibility of electronic evidence under Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Our forensic experts are skilled and can testify in Indian courts withstanding their Forensic Examination Reports to provide Expert Opinion under Section 45 of Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
In forensic science, questioned document examination is the examination of documents potentially disputed in the Court of law. Its primary purpose is to provide evidence about a suspicious or questionable document using scientific processes and methods. Evidence might include alterations, obliteration, the chain of possession, damage to the document, forgery, origin, authenticity, or other questions that come up when a document is challenged in court.
A Simplified Guide to Forensic Document Examination Evidence That May Be Examined-
Questioned material may consist of identification cards, contracts, wills, titles and deeds, seals, stamps, bank cheques, handwritten correspondence, machine-generated documents (such as those from photocopiers, fax machines, and printers), currency, charred documents and travel documents such as passports, visa stamps, etc.
Handwriting examination is the comparison of known specimens to questioned or disputed handwritten documents. Good sources of writing specimens may include items such as cancelled cheques, letters, diaries, suicide notes, signed receipts, medical records, real estate contracts, tax records, or other signed legal documents.
There are many cases where handwriting becomes a disputed such as in the case of suicide letters, holographic will, bank cheque frauds anonymous letter, ransom notes, etc. Such cases demand the handwriting analysis to know:
- Whether the person (victim in a disputed handwriting case) alleged to have written a disputed document have actually written it or not?
- Who has actually written the disputed document?
(This pertains to analyse suspect(s)’s handwriting to identify the writer)
In the first scenario, (a) the specimen and/or admitted handwriting samples of the victim (here) are collected, analysed and compared with the disputed or questioned handwriting sample(s) to ascertain whether he/she is the actual writer or not.
In the second scenario (b) if there are any suspect(s) for a disputed or questioned document, then the specimen and/or admitted handwriting samples are collected, analysed and compared with the disputed or questioned handwriting sample(s) to establish whether the suspect is the actual writer or not.
Forgery Detection in Handwritten Documents
Another aspect of forensic handwriting analysis concerns with detection of alteration, addition, deletion or examination of obliterated handwriting. This is very crucial in forensic documents examination. Such issues are encountered for instance in bank cheques fraud when an amount is altered by changing a digit in an amount or by addition of a digit which changes the whole amount to be credited and in many other cases.
Although no forgery is a perfect one. It still carries the signs which indicates the forgery. However, such signs are not visible to the naked eyes of a layman. Detection of forgery in such handwritten disputed or questioned documents requires a skilled forensic documents expert and dedicated tools for forensic examination in such cases to unveil the forgery and to help and save the victim.
Here at the Connectel Security Systems Private Limited (Forensic Division), the staff of skilled forensic documents experts are at service for forensic handwriting analysis and forgery detection. Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, we deliver the due quality and credibility in Forensic Examination and Report generation. We maintain proper chain of custody, the observation and results of the forensic analysis of evidence by the forensic expert remains properly documented. The Forensic Examination Report is generated by the forensic expert on the basis of the findings of the forensic analysis.
Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, our reports are admissible in the Indian Court of Law in the same category followed by the Government FSL’s who are accredited by NABL Authority. Further, we provide 65B certificate for admissibility of electronic evidence under Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Our forensic experts are skilled and can testify in Indian courts withstanding their Forensic Examination Reports to provide Expert Opinion under Section 45 of Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The signature of a person is unique to him/her just like fingerprints and DNA. Technically the signature is a part of one’s unique handwriting. Even after the digitalization, every documents still require our signature and for this reason perpetrators tend to forge signatures to defraud the civilians for their malicious intent and monetary gains.
In forensics signature verification test is used to find out if the signature on a document is genuine or forged by someone. Some examples where signature forgery is most prevalent includes bank cheques, agreements, contracts, sale and purchase deeds, receipts, wills, notarized documents, and any other documents which can defraud someone.
In cases of disputed or questioned signature(s) on a document, the question arises that whether the person (victim in a disputed case) alleged to have signed a disputed document have actually made the signature or not?
In order to ascertain that specimen and/or admitted signature samples of the victim (here) are collected, analysed and compared with the disputed or questioned signature sample(s) to ascertain whether he/she is the actual writer or not.
With time, the forgers are becoming more trained and utilizes various tools and techniques to forge signatures to defraud the innocents. Although no forged signatures are perfect. They still carry the signs which indicates the forgery. However, these signs are not visible to the naked eyes of a layman. A forensic documents expert utilizes his/her skills and scientific tools to unveil these signs and indications of forgery to bring the ultimate truth out and saves the victim from being defraud.
Here at the Connectel Security Systems Private Limited (Forensic Division), the staff of skilled forensic documents experts are at service for forensic signature analysis and forgery detection. Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, we deliver the due quality and credibility in Forensic Examination and Report generation. We maintain proper chain of custody, the observation and results of the forensic analysis of evidence by the forensic expert remains properly documented. The Forensic Examination Report is generated by the forensic expert on the basis of the findings of the forensic analysis.
Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, our reports are admissible in the Indian Court of Law in the same category followed by the Government FSL’s who are accredited by NABL Authority. Further, we provide 65B certificate for admissibility of electronic evidence under Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Our forensic experts are skilled and can testify in Indian courts withstanding their Forensic Examination Reports to provide Expert Opinion under Section 45 of Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
Apart from handwritten documents, the perpetrators also abuse the typewritten, printed or any kind of machine generated documents to fulfil their malicious intent and to defraud the innocents. These documents include typewritten wills, sale and purchase deed, bank cheques, passports, etc., as well as counterfeit currency and other.
Forensic examination of printed documents pertains to forgery detection including examination, authentication, and verification of alterations, obliterations, and erasures in typewritten, machine-printed documents, passports, wills, bank cheques, etc.
- Alteration: Alteration is defined as any change to a document which gives it a different effect from that it originally possessed. Alteration can be done by addition/interlineations and overwriting.
- Addition: Addition in the document is defined as the insertion of any word, digit, etc., which changes the meaning or value of the document.
- Erasure: Erasure is defined as erasing some of the content in a disputed or questioned documents which results in change of the ultimate meaning of the disputed document. For instance, erasure of some beneficiary’s name from a will, etc.
- Obliteration: Obliteration means to obliterate what has been written or printed in a disputed or questioned document to cover up some information and ultimately change the meaning of the disputed document so that the disputed document favours the perpetrator.
- Forgery detection method: Alterations, obliterations, and erasures not visible to the naked layman’s eyes but can often be detected through the eyes of skilled forensic documents expert and by the use of photography and other imaging devices that utilize ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths of light.
With time, the forgers are becoming more trained and utilizes various tools and techniques to commit forgery and create forged and fake documents to defraud the innocents. Although no forgery is perfect and a forged or fake document still carry the signs which indicates the forgery. However, these signs are not visible to the naked eyes of a layman. A forensic documents expert utilizes his/her skills and scientific tools to unveil these signs and indications of forgery to bring the ultimate truth out and saves the victim from being defraud.
Here at the Connectel Security Systems Private Limited (Forensic Division), the staff of skilled forensic documents experts are at service for forensic signature analysis and forgery detection. Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, we deliver the due quality and credibility in Forensic Examination and Report generation. We maintain proper chain of custody, the observation and results of the forensic analysis of evidence by the forensic expert remains properly documented. The Forensic Examination Report is generated by the forensic expert on the basis of the findings of the forensic analysis.
Being the only NABL accredited (Government notified) forensic laboratory in the private sector, our reports are admissible in the Indian Court of Law in the same category followed by the Government FSL’s who are accredited by NABL Authority. Further, we provide 65B certificate for admissibility of electronic evidence under Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Our forensic experts are skilled and can testify in Indian courts withstanding their Forensic Examination Reports to provide Expert Opinion under Section 45 of Indian Evidence Act, 1872.