1

FORENSIC IN POLICING (Crime Scene Management)

GUIDELINES

FOR

COLLECTING AND FORWARDING

APPROPRIATE EVIDENCE MATERIALS

Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories

in Karnataka

Madivala, Bengaluru – 560 068

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FORENSIC SCIENCE IN CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

Forensic Science Laboratories have got greater responsibilities in aiding the

Crime Investigations, right from the examination of Scene of Crime, up to the level of

rendering evidence before the Courts of law, in a Criminal Justice system. The role of

Forensic Scientist begins as soon as the crime is committed and the crime scene

investigation is not just collecting and packing of evidence materials found at the spot.

The most crucial step of forensic investigation is to draw a definite conclusion regarding

the possible criminal act. The foundation of all forensic crime scene investigation is

based on the ability of the crime scene investigator to recognize the relevant

clue/physical evidences keeping the Locard’s theory of Principle of exchange, in mind.

Crime Scene Management

Crime Scene Investigation is an integral part of scientific investigation and is a very

crucial step for collection of evidence in any particular case. Hence, Crime Scene

Management consists of the following steps:

Reconstruction of the Scene of Crime (SOC)

Understanding about the sequence of events in connection with the commission

of crime or the modus operandi.

Collection of relevant physical and documentary evidences in a systematic

manner.

Protection & preservation of Crime Scene

The duty of any first officer, who visits the Scene of Crime, is to protect and

preserve the crime scene properly, so that the integrity of the physical evidences are

maintained. It is far more important for both the first officer and the concerned experts

to respond rapidly to the calls / request of crime scene visits, since, the Scene of Crime

will gradually change due to passage of time.

The common factors affecting the Scene of Crime would be

Topography of the area of crime scene

Weather conditions

Relatives and friends

Suspect/accused

Curious onlookers

Media persons

Sometimes the presence of Higher Officers / VIPs.

Crime Scene safety measures

The following are the crime scene safety measures to be taken care of, to ensure

proper scientific investigation of various types of scenes of crime.

The inspected area must be cordoned off and protected from any public

interference till the photographer, Dog squad, Finger print expert and other

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concerned experts or the investigating officers complete their inspection and

documentation of the crime scene.

Media persons such as, Press reporters and TV personnel are completely barred

and should not be entertained during crime scene investigations.

All the suspected areas are to be photo/ video graphed thoroughly. The Forensic

experts or the investigating officers must initiate inspection of the crime scene,

only after the completion of photo / video graphing of the crime scene.

Personnel protective equipment such as an apron / coat along with facemask,

hand gloves should be worn during the inspection of the crime scene to keep

oneself safe from any health hazards due to smoke, chemical, foul smell, dust

etc.,

The Crime scene should be inspected by the concerned experts / investigating

officers as early as possible to identify the following features:-

To document the total area of interest for fixing the scene of offence with

respect to a specific point to be easily identified at later stages.

To ascertain any person entering the area before their arrival.

To draw a rough sketch and to mark the areas having maximum probability

of obtaining relevant clue materials.

To provide protection to the available evidence samples to keep them away

from direct heat, sunlight, water etc., as and when possible.

Selection of non-contaminated areas for obtaining control samples.

The members of crime scene unit should not use phones, bath rooms or washing

basins present in the crime scene area. Further, they should not eat, drink and

smoke in the scene area

In case of arson due to short-circuiting, one should wear rubber gloves and

shoes to avoid electric shock and also to check using a tester for the presence of

electricity in the circuit system before examination of the suspected site.

In case of any explosion, one should wear face-mask, hand gloves and rubber

shoes for inspection of the explosion site and should also ensure that the place is

sound and safe before entering.

General Guidelines for any Crime Scene Investigator

The following are the basic guidelines to be followed by every member of a

Crime Scene Unit.

The objectives of any Crime Scene Unit (CSU) are to keenly observe the entire

crime scene and to search for the discovery, collection, proper preservation &

packing and to document the physical evidences found at the crime scene.

Prior to processing the crime scene, the crime scene investigator shall interview

the first officer who visits the Scene of Crime, in order to ascertain the basic facts

of the case – like how, when, and by whom the crime might have been

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committed. This preliminary information may lead to search for relevant clue

materials at the scene of crime.

The crime scene should be processed carefully by walking through from one

end/ corner and make a survey of the entire scene fixing its boundaries and

observing the type of physical evidences available at the Scene of Crime, without

touching them. Further, specific locations such as the entry, exit points, primary

spot of offence and the general layout of the crime scene are to be observed and

noted.

A thorough crime scene search shall be conducted for discovering the physical

clues by adopting any of the suitable search methods namely – spiral, strip, grid,

quadrant / zonal or pie/wheel method. Brief description of each such pattern is

as follows :-

o Spiral method

– Here, the search is started from one end of the crime scene (outer

edge), carried out in spirals till the focal point (center) of the crime

scene

o Strip method

– The whole area to be searched is divided into convenient number of

strips. Each strip is examined carefully. Whenever any item or

physical evidence is found, it is properly collected and preserved. The

process is continued till the entire area has been searched.

o Grid method

– In the grid search method, the IO begins like a strip search. After

completing the search by horizontal lanes, he searches back at right

angles to the original strip. This search from two different angles

helps in the recovery of evidence which might have been missed in a

simple strip method.

o Quadrant / zonal method

The scene is divided into small zones and each zone is examined in

turn covering all the quadrants of the entire crime scene.

o Pie / Wheel method

It is a search pattern in which the area is divided into pie slices or

sections of a wheel usually six in number. Crime scene searchers start

from a critical point, such as body, and travel outwards along straight

lines or rays.

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CRIME SCENE SEARCH METHODS

The clue materials so recognized, may be either available at the scene of crime

or also from the person, clothing and environment of the victim, suspect and

witnesses. Virtually, any type of material can become physical evidence, which

may be found in any physical state such as - gas, liquid or solid.

It is also very necessary to reconstruct the entire Scene of Crime, which may give

sufficient leads to the Investigating Officers for further investigation.

Types of Physical Evidence

The physical evidence found at the crime scene can be the key to the solution of

a crime. It has the potential to play a critical role in overall investigation and

resolution of crime. Realization of these potential evidences depend on the early

action taken during the investigation of crime scene. The following are the common

types of physical evidences encountered in various offences.

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o Homicide and Dacoity

– Blood stains and spatters, Finger / foot prints, Fibers/Fabrics,

Injuries, Tool marks and Tyre impressions, Cigarette / Beedi buts,

Vegetation traces, Weapons, Jewellery, Hairs, Blood stained

materials, Soils, etc.,

o Rape cases

– Blood, Semen and other stained materials, Clothings, Injuries, Hairs &

Fibers, Condom and pads, Resistance marks / Defense wounds, Bite

marks and Saliva, Plant and wood materials, etc.,

o Materials to be collected for DNA tests

– Blood, Dried blood / Seminal stains, Hairs with roots, Bones, Teeth,

Vaginal swabs, Swabs/cuttings, Tissues, Saliva, stained garments,

etc., As far as possible, FTA cards may be used for collecting fresh

blood samples.

o Hit & Run cases

– Skid marks, Paints, Glass pieces, Grass/soil, Hairs & fibers, Skin

tissues, Woven thread and other pattern impressions, Tyre & Track

marks, Scratch marks / Dent marks, Blood stained garments and

other materials, dragging marks, road conditions, vehicle damage

etc.

o Cases involving Fire Arms

– Weapons, Projectiles (include fired bullets, pellets, slugs, splinters

and hand loaded materials like stones, glass pieces, balls, nails –

found in furniture, wall, wood, floor, human body etc.,) Injuries

(include entry and exit holes), Fired cartridge cases, Blood and blood

stained clothing, Wads, Glass pieces including fractured window

glass, Holes/Dents, Ricochet marks, Finger / foot prints, Gunshot

residues etc., The dead body shall be subjected to x-ray before

autopsy in order to know the position of bullets / splinters lodged

inside the body. (Hand swabs should be collected using ear buds or

pure cotton dipped in 5% nitric acid or distilled water, packed and

sealed in polythene bags along with control / blank samples).

o Cases involving Cyber crimes

– Desktop Computers / CPU, Internal Hard Disks & External Hard disks,

Laptops, Dongles and Modems

– Mobile phones, SIM cards and Micro Storage Device cards

– Flash / Pen /thumb drives, Camera and Storage Device cards,

– Digital Video Recorders (DVR), CD / DVD/ Blue ray disks

– Printer / scanner / plotter or any type of digital evidence materials

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o Exhibits involved in NDPS Act

Narcotic Drugs denoting a sleep inducing agent, such as opium,

morphine and heroin as described below:-

– Cannabis plant & drugs (i.e., charas, ganja, hashish),

– Coca leaf & plant and coca derivatives/preparations containing more

than 0.1% cocaine

– Opium poppy, poppy straw and concentrate heroin

– Synthetic narcotic drugs like Pethidine, Pentozocine, and other

manufactured drugs.

Psychotropic substances denoting mind altering drugs, such as –

– Lysergic Acid Di-ethylamide (LSD), Phencyclidine,

– Barbiturates, Methaqualone

Anabolic steroids misused for Male muscle building and to increase male

sex characteristics & improve their physical appearance.

Designer drugs (MDMA, DMT etc.,) that are manufacture in clandestine

laboratories, which are chemically related to some controlled drugs and

are pharmacologically potent. These controlled substances (precursors)

include chemicals, reagents and solvents frequently used in illicit

manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Based on their effects, the narcotic drugs & psychotropic substances are

further classified into the following categories:-

– Hallucinogens: can cause marked alternation in thought process,

perceptions and mood e.g. Cannabis drugs, narcotic drugs, charas,

ganja, mescaline, LSD, DMT (Di-methyl tryptamine) etc.

– Stimulants: stimulate or excite the central nervous system e.g.

Amphetamines, cocaine etc.

– Depressants: inhibit the mental process of judgment, memory &

concentration due to their depressant action on Central Nervous

system e.g. alcohol, Barbiturates, Tranquilizers (Diazepam) etc.

o Cases involving Explosions

– Crater formation, Visibility of explosive effects, Fragments,

Containers and other devices, Triggering materials, Detonating

devices, Clothings, Explosive residues, Live / Inert / Dummy

explosives etc.

o UDR Cases

– In cases of poisoning:- Vomitus, Purged materials, Urine, Clothes,

Bedspreads, Pillow covers, Poison containers, Cooking utensils,

Contents of traps and sinks, Remnants of food, drinks, Drugs in the

form of Powder, Pill, Capsule, Vial etc., Bottles and Tins, Syringes,

used Tablet Strips, etc.,

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– In cases of hanging and strangulation:- Ligature / Strangulation

marks, Ligature material such as Rope, Dhothi, Saree or Dupatta etc.,

– In cases of drowning:- Clenched fist with mud or weeds in hand,

washerman’s feet, sample water from the place of occurrence.

o Dead body at the Scene of Crime

– The investigating officer should not feel panic, when he comes across any

dead body at the Scene of Crime. He should not try to shift the body to

the mortuary in order to avoid Media and Public. The dead body is a

treasure of Physical Evidences and shifting may cause losses in the

evidentiary value of the clues that may be present on the body. Dead

body is a mute witness against its perpetrator. The I.O. should not

hesitate to touch the body and after noting down the position of the

dead body, he may obtain and record the following details :

The specific information with respect to the name of the

deceased, sex, race, approximate age, appearance, stature,

description of the clothing, position of head, eyes, tongue, hands,

shoes, ornaments and other articles present on the dead body

along with the condition of the dead body are to be observed and

noted immediately.

The dead body may be examined for any type of injuries present

such as Hemorrhages, bite marks, bruises, lacerations, stab

injuries, gunshot injuries, abrasions, congestions, ligature marks

etc.,

o Miscellaneous

The above list may not be exhaustive and the IO may encounter new / additional

physical clues, depending upon the crime and relevant crime scene. They include:-

– Suicide death notes, visiting cards, charred and water soaked

documents, Forged documents, Fake credit/debit cards, Travel

documents, Counterfeit currencies

– Hidden writings, Erased or altered documents, Paper, Ink, Indented

writings

– Visible, Plastic and latent finger prints,

– Electronic gadgets containing Digital evidences,

– Duplicated materials, Metals and alloys, Idols, additional tool marks,

Electric wires & Cables,

– Vehicles involving tampering of serial numbers,

– Sub-standard Building materials such as cement, mortar and

concrete,

– Food materials & petroleum products etc.,

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Documentation of Scene of Crime

The crime scene should be documented by photographs / video-graph, sketching

and preparing rough notes, which will depict the entire description and

happenings of a crime committed at the scene.

o The photographs / video-graph shall include

– A general view of the crime scene and the body from different angles

– Front entrance / exit points of the building / outdoor crime scene.

– Medium distance photographs showing the primary scene of crime,

physical clues, Dead body etc.,

– Close up details with respect to minute physical evidences like blood

stains, weapons, fibers, hairs, injuries, tattoo marks, surface and

sunken prints / impressions, etc., and full view of the dead body and

face for positive identification.

o A rough sketch of the crime scene should be drawn to document the layout

of the crime scene, identifying the intra distance between the victim and

physical evidences and vice-versa, including specific directions to be marked

on the crime scene chart. A crime scene sketch depicts the overall layout of

a location and the relationship of evidentiary items to the surroundings. The

crime scene sketch can be drawn by adopting any one of the following

methods, depending upon the nature of the crime scene.

– Rectangular (right angle) method (preferably for indoor crime

scenes)

– Triangular method (both indoor & outdoor crime scenes)

– Baseline method (usually used for large outdoor crime scenes)

– Cross-projection method (for indoor crime scenes).

o The detailed notes shall describe the type of crime scene encountered,

comprising of all the details of physical evidences including the dead body,

blood spatters, weapons, drag marks and other impressions etc., The notes

taking must be a constant activity throughout the processing of the crime

scene. The notes shall include the following –

– The time of each item of physical evidence discovered.

– The location of the items of physical evidence recovered.

– How and by whom it was packed and marked.

– The disposition of the item after it was collected.

– The time and date of completion of the Crime Scene Investigation.

Collection and preservation of physical evidences

o The crime scene should be thoroughly searched by adopting various

scientific techniques of search mentioned above, for micro & macro physical

evidences and they should be properly marked for their identification.

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o The transient and fragile evidences shall be collected immediately to

prevent further destruction.

o The blood and other biologically stained articles are to be air dried before

packing to avoid decomposition.

o Volatile / liquid samples are to be collected in airtight containers and sealed

immediately.

o Small items such as paint flakes, glass chips, bullet, splinters and residues of

explosives etc., should be carefully wrapped in a paper and placed in a

container with proper cotton padding.

o Each article should be separately packed and labeled. The containers should

also be marked and labeled properly.

o The collected physical evidences should be sealed at the spot, immediately

after proper collection and preservation, under mahazar.

Crime Scene processing kit boxes and other requirements

The crime scene unit shall adopt all possible scientific methods to handle, lift,

pack and seal the evidences, with the help of various Scene of Crime (SOC) kit boxes.

The following are the examples of basic equipments available in the form of kits

required for processing any scene of crime.

– General crime scene investigation kit

– Crime Scene protection / cordoning kit

– Crime Scene illumination kit

– Scene of Crime sketch & measuring kit

– Forensic Light source (Multi-tunable light source)

– Digital camera

– Finger print lifting kit

– Photo documentation kit

– Evidence marker

– LASER trajectory kit

– Gas mask

– Explosive detection kit

– Narcotic detection kit

– Gunshot residue collection kit

– Blood detection kit

– Semen detection kit

– Tyre & foot print impression investigation kit

– Tool mark investigation kit

– Arson investigation kit

– Digital evidence collection tool kit

– Laptop

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for collecting physical clues with

respect to each section are detailed in the next tables shown

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I. TOXICOLOGY SECTION

Sl.

No.

Type of cases

Types of

Samples to be

referred

Quantity Required

Method of sample

preservation

Method of sample

collection &

dispatch

1 2 3 4 5 6

1. General Poisons/

Insecticides/Carbolic

acid poisoning/

Drug cases/

Medical Negligence/

Hanging/

Drowning /

Unknown dead

bodies

(Autopsy samples)

Stomach and its

contents; Small

intestine and its

contents

Whole Stomach

and min. 30 cm of

proximal portion of

Intestine

Immersed in

Saturated solution

of Sodium chloride

(Common salt)

Collect in a sterile,

air tight, wide

mouth glass bottle

(to be submitted

to FSL as early as

possible)

Liver and Kidney 50-100 gms of liver

and one half of

each kidney

Blood 20 ml from

vein/femoral artery

20 mg sodium fluoride

/ml of blood (as

50 ml capacity,

sterile and air tight enzyme inhibitor) and glass bottle 3 mg of potassium (to be kept in

oxalate /ml of blood refrigerator till

(as anti coagulant) submission)

Site of injection Skin sample with Rectified Spirit Collect in sterile

(in cases of subcutaneous layer and air tight, wide

poisoning by along with control mouth glass bottle

injection) from symmetrical

side of the body

Poison tin/other

containers/

Medicines &

All available

quantity ---

Paper / cloth

packet

tablet strips

2. General Poisons/

Insecticide/Drug

cases (Survival)

Stomach wash All available No preservative Collect in sterile,

quantity air tight and wide

mouth glass bottle

Blood 10 ml each in two With and without Vacutainer

containers preservative

Urine All available Few grains of Collect in sterile

quantity Thymol and air tight glass

bottle

Poison tin/

containers/Med

icines/ tablet

strips found

All available

quantity ---

Paper / cloth

packet

nearby, if

available

12

1 2 3 4 5 6

3. Alcohol death cases Stomach and its

contents; Small

intestine and its

contents

Whole Stomach

and 30 cm

minimum of

proximal portion of

Intestine

Immersed in

Saturated solution

of Sodium chloride

(Common salt)

Collect in sterile,

air tight and wide

mouth glass bottle

(to be submitted

to FSL as early as

possible) Liver and Kidney 150 gm Liver and

half of each Kidney

Blood 20 ml from

vein/femoral artery

10 mg sodium

fluoride & 3 mg

potassium oxalate

per ml of blood

(Heparin and EDTA

should never be

used in methanol

suspected cases)

50 ml capacity

sterile and air tight

glass bottle

(to be kept in

refrigerator till

submission)

Urine All available

quantity

Few grains of

Thymol

Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle

Vitreous

Humor/ Sinovial

fluid

All available

quantity

No preservative

required

4 Alcohol survival

cases

Blood 10 ml from

vein/femoral artery

10 mg sodium

fluoride and 3mg

potassium oxalate

per ml of blood

Sterile vacutainer

Urine All available

quantity

Few grains of

Thymol

Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle

5 Burning/fire accident

cases (Suspecting

Carbon monoxide)

Blood 20 ml from vein/

femoral artery

A layer of 1-2 cm of

Liquid Paraffin

should be added

over blood sample

(to avoid exposure

to atmospheric

oxygen)

50 ml capacity

sterile and air tight

glass bottle

Lungs 150gms of tissue A layer of 1-2 cm of

Liquid Paraffin

should be added

over lungs

Collect in sterile

and air tight wide

mouth glass bottle

13

1 2 3 4 5 6

6. Volatile Poisons like

Ether, Chloroform,

Carbon monoxide

etc., various alcohols

(other than ethyl

alcohol)

Lungs and Brain 150g of tissue each Lung is mobilized

and the main

bronchus tied off

tightly with a string

ligature. The hilum

is then divided and

the lung placed

immediately into a

nylon bag

Nylon bag

(prevents

elimination of

volatile poisons

from the sample)

Blood 10 ml from

vein/femoral artery

A layer of 1-2 cm of

Liquid Paraffin

should be added

over the blood

sample

50 ml capacity

sterile and air tight

glass bottle

7. Chronic poisoning

cases involving

heavy metals like

arsenic, antimony,

lead etc.,

Hairs Tuft of head hairs

along with roots to

be plucked

(Min. 10 gms)

No preservative

required

Clean and dry

paper envelops or

cloth packets along

with cotton

padding, if

necessary.

Finger & toe

Nails

In case of living

persons all nail

clippings

In case of dead

persons, minimum

of 3 complete nails

& some muscles

No preservative

required

Shaft of long

bones

8 to 10 cms of

Femur bone

Dried at room

temperature

8. Corrosives

(with local action)

Stomach and its

contents; Small

intestine and its

contents

Whole Stomach

and 30 cm min. of

proximal portion of

Intestine

Rectified Spirit

(except for carbolic

acids)

De-natured alcohol

or formalin should

not be used.

Collect in sterile

and air tight, wide

mouth glass bottle

Skin from the

affected area

along with

control

Min of 2.5 cm2 each

from the affected

area and opposite

side as control

----

Collect in sterile

and air tight, wide

mouth glass bottle

Connected

containers/

clothing found if

any.

All

----

Collect in sterile

and air tight, wide

mouth glass bottle

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1 2 3 4 5 6

9. Road Traffic Accident

(RTA)

Liver

(Death cases)

150 gm Liver Immersed in

Saturated solution

of Sodium chloride

(Common salt)

Collect in sterile

and air tight, wide

mouth glass bottle

Blood 10 ml of venous

blood

10 mg of Sodium

fluoride and 3mg of

potassium oxalate

per 1 ml of blood

Vacutainer

Urine

All available

quantity

Few grains of

Thymol Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle Vitreous Humor

(Death cases) ----

10. Exhumed and

Putrefied bodies.

Available

Stomach,

visceral organs

or muscle tissue

All available

quantity

Immersed in

Saturated solution

of Sodium chloride

(Common salt)

Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle Vitreous Humor All available

quantity ----

Femur bone One bone Dried in room

temperature

Paper cover or

cora cloth

Soil samples

from above &

below the body,

along with

control sample

Minimum 100 g

----

Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle

Maggots/larvae

(Highly putrified

bodies)

Minimum 10 gm Rectified spirit Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle

11. POCSO / Sexual

assault cases

Blood 10 ml of venous

blood

10 mg sodium

fluoride and 3 mg

potassium oxalate

per ml

Vacutainer

Urine All available

quantity

Few grains of

Thymol

Collect in sterile

and air tight glass

bottle

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

1. Formalin should not be used as preservative for sending viscera to

toxicological analysis, as it hardens the tissue and renders difficulty to

extract the poison.

2. Of late, simulated cases of hanging, drowning, burns, accidents etc., are

occurring sporadically. In all these cases Medical officers may refer viscera to

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eliminate the presence of toxic substances, depending on the need and

circumstances.

3. In case of drowning, where the Medical Officer arrives at a definite opinion

that the cause of death is due to drowning, no additional purpose will be

served by chemical examinations. However, in cases of suspicion, testing for

diatoms in visceral organs, spleen and bone marrow may be most useful.

4. In case of hanging - the Medical Officer having observed the fracture of

hyoid bone arrives at a conclusion that death is due to hanging - no

additional purpose will be served in referring the visceral organs for

chemical analysis except in complex situations.

5. In cases of hanging, drowning, burns, accidents etc., the Medical Officers

may sometimes refer the viscera. In such cases, the suspicious circumstances

arising are to be recorded clearly, to conduct proper analysis.

6. No useful purpose will be served by chemical analysis of viscera in case of

electric shock victims and persons known to have died due to diseases like

TB, Cancer, Hepatitis, Aids etc.

7. Similarly it will be of no consequence, if chemical analysis of viscera is

carried out in case of natural deaths due to starvation, sunstroke, old age,

lightning, extreme cold etc.

8. In case of snake bite or other insect bites, samples of skin bits of affected

area should only be collected and forwarded.

9. A piece of heart, portion of brain and spinal cord should be preserved if

poisoning is by nux-vomica or strychnine.

10. Brain and urine should be preserved in suspected cases of poisoning by

barbiturates, opium or anesthetics.

11. In cases of embalmed bodies, viterous humour from eye balls usually

remains uncontaminated by the process and may serve the purpose of

analysing urea, creatinine and ethyl alcohol. Hence, such samples should be

collected and forwarded.

12. Fatty tissue should be taken from abdominal walls in case of pesticide

poisoning.

13. In-order to obtain accurate analytical results, right kind of viscera/body

fluids should be collected by the Medical Officer in desirable quantity and

preserved properly in suitable containers and forwarded without delay as

per the above guide lines.

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II. PHYSICAL SECTION

Sl.

No Examination

Required

Types of cases

Min no. of

sample

required

Methods of questioned/

control

sample collections

Mode of packing

and dispatch

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Tampered

identificatio

n of

manufacture

r’s Nos. on

vehicles &

other

articles

Theft, Accident,

Cheating, Arson,

Bomb blast etc

Entire

vehicle or

item

Nil

Small items to be

covered with cora

cloth, packed &

sealed properly

2 Soil

comparison

(Soil / dust)

Homicide,

Attempt to

Murder,

Accident,

Burning, Sexual

assault, Burglary,

Theft, ,

1 to 10 gms All apparels shoes/

slippers/weapons/ tools

etc., are to be sent.

Ear bud dipped in water

to be used for dust

collection.

Soil samples from the

ground, wall scrapings

etc., are to be sent along

with control samples

collected beside/ within

30cms from place of

offence.

- Soil adhering

to apparels / tool

should be cotton

cushioned before

packing.

- Samples to be

collected in paper

packets / plastic

containers &

covered with cora

cloth & sealed.

3 Paint

comparison

(Scrapings,

flakes,

dent/broken

parts, tools

etc.,

Hit and run,

Accident, Theft,

Murder,

Robbery,

Vandalism

0.1 to 1 mg

(Scrapings

to be

collected

from the

suspected

area of

within 1

square

inch.

Collect

– All paint flakes,

– All paint layers

– Paint scrapings.

– Victim’s clothing, if

paint is adhered.

New blade should be

used for each sample

collection

- Suspected paint

transfer area

should be cotton

cushioned.

- Flakes & scrapings

to be collected in a

clean, dry paper

envelops

4 Physical

matching

(Broken

parts, torn

parts & parts

cut)

Accident, Hit &

run, Theft,

Murder, Assault

All the

broken/tor

n parts.

The broken parts shall

include splinters and

damaged areas.

- Damaged edges

should be covered

with cotton

- wrapped in

paper/ cora cloth

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1 2 3 4 5 6

5 Examination

of glass

Hit and run,

Accident, Theft,

Murder,

Robbery,

Vandalism

One square

inch (5 to

10 pieces)

- Since it is a fragile,

handle with care.

- The samples along with

control are either

Handpicked using gloves

or collected using

Tweezers

Collected and

packed in a clean &

dry paper cover

and labeled

indicating seizure

details.

6 Examination

of fibers.

Accident, Hit &

run, Theft,

Murder, Sexual

assault, Hanging,

Drowning

Two to

three fiber

pieces of

length 2

inches

- By using Tweezers,

- Control cloth / fabric or

fibers are also to be

collected and labeled.

By using clean &

dry paper packet

7 Examination

&

comparison

of

duplicated /

fake items

Cheating, Trade

& Merchandise

Act

All The suspected items

shall accompany with

contemporary control /

standard items along

with company

specifications, if any.

All the items are to

be packed

separately using

suitable containers

and sealed.

8 Comparison

of tool &

tool marks

Theft, robbery All Tool marks along with

suspected tool with

proper labeling.

Tool edges to be

covered with

cotton, packed &

sealed.

9 Comparison

of foot,

footwear

and tyre

impressions.

Hit and run,

Accident, Theft,

Murder,

Robbery,

Vandalism

Entire

impression

along with

photograph

s, castings,

if any.

Suspected material

causing questioned

impressions.

Packed in a suitable

container and

labeled properly,

indicating seizure

details.

10 Voice

analysis.

(Comparison

and

Identificatio

n)

Bribe,

kidnapping,

assault, bomb,

hoax calls,

extortion etc.

Conversatio

nal

speeches

recorded

for a

duration of

atleast 10

seconds

- Sample recordings

from the suspected

person shall be done in a

conversational form

inside a sound proof

room.

- The specimen voice

should contain similar

words spoken with

natural flow of speech

during conversation.

- Enable write protection

in storage electronic

media

- The CD / DVDs

should be packed

using CD mailer.

- Should not

contain any type of

scratch marks.

- Recorders /

mobile phones

should be properly

packed in suitable

containers to

prevent any

damages. All the

exhibits are to be

sealed & labeled

properly indicating

seizure details.

18

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

1. All the exhibits / materials requiring forensic examination and

comparison should be referred to the laboratory as early as possible.

2. All the sealed parcels should be properly labeled containing details of

the case number, article number, mode of recovery and nature of

exhibits.

3. For collecting sample speeches recordings, the following procedure is

to be followed:-

a. Similar text in the same language should be prepared for recording

the specimen samples. During recording, the conversation should

be prolonged in such a manner that the relevant words are

repeated many a times.

b. At the time of recording, the Investigator should make all efforts to

eliminate as much background noise as possible by not playing

Radio, T.V., Air conditioners, Fans or overlapping conversations.

c. The speaker should speak with normal speed and loudness, keeping

the microphone at a distance of about one foot. The speaker be

directed not to speak/read too fast or too slow, but he should read

/ speak normally. The suspect should be conversant with the text of

specimen speech before recording.

d. The voice of the suspect should be recorded when he is in normal

physical and mental health.

e. It is an essential requirement to stabilize the speech of the speaker,

for which, he may be asked to speak continuously for two minutes

before he reads the prepared text. The text should be read

continuously for 1 minute to be followed by a pause of 30 seconds

and this process be repeated twice.

f. The I.O. and suspects should identify themselves and mention the

case number/objective of recording. The time, date, location and

telephone numbers should also be recorded.

g. In the event of a suspect disguising his voice, the I.O. should ask for

the repetition of disguised words, until he feels satisfied that the

suspect is speaking in the same way as in the questioned voice.

h. The text of conversation should be documented and forwarded to

laboratory.

i. ‘Auto Message Recorder’ should be used for recording telephonic

conversation.

19

III. BIOLOGY SECTION

Sl.

no

Nature of

examination

required

Types of

samples to be

collected &

referred

Minimum

Quantity to be

collected for

each test

Recommended methods of

samples collection and

preservation

Recommended mode

of packing &

transportation of

samples

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Examination

of blood /

blood stains

(Cases involve

in Homicide,

attempt to

murder,

assault and

Accident)

Soil/swab/

Liquid blood/

cloths/Weapon

s (such as

knife, daggers,

sword, sickle,

stone, etc.,) &

other articles

10 gms/ 2ml/

5cm .sq

- Clothes and weapons as a

whole

- For large objects

cuttings/Scrapings are to be

collected.

- All the articles are to be

air dried.

- Liquid blood to be

preserved in EDTA vial and

kept at 40 c

- Suitable cloth

packet/ Paper

packets are to be

used for packing each

article individually.

- All the articles to be

dispatched within a

week for best results

- Liquid blood

samples to be

referred within 24-48

hrs along with proper

refrigeration.

- All the articles are to

be labeled properly

indicating seizure

details.

2 Examination

of Seminal

stains

(Cases of

Sexual

assault)

Vaginal Swab

/smear/clothes

/ vaginal

secretions/hair

s

All questioned

samples along

with control

blood samples

of accused and

the victim are

to be collected.

- Whole clothes

- Swab on a dry cotton

clothes

- Semen smears on a slide.

- Hairs/clothes to be air

dried

3 Examination

of hairs (Cases

of Homicide,

Sexual assault,

etc.,)

Scalp/pubic

hairs/ clothes

- All questioned

hairs &

clothings

- Minimum 8

uncut hairs with

respect to

control sample.

- Collection from the spot

(all samples)

- Combings of pubic area

- If wet, air dry the samples

Packed in a paper

packet, sealed and

labeled properly

indicating seizure

details.

4 Examination

of saliva,

sweat & other

Biological

stains

(Cases of

Homicide,

Sexual assault,

etc.,)

Swabs/clothes/

nail clippings

- All clothings

- 4 to 5 nail

clippings

including

control

samples.

- Use sterile cotton for the

swabs material

- Air dry the clothes.

- Packed in a suitable

paper / cloth packet,

sealed & labeled

properly indicating

seizure details.

- All the articles to be

dispatched within a

week for best results

5 Examination

of skin tissues

for origin.

(Cases of

Unknown

species)

Cloth/ nail

clippings

- All clothings

- 4 to 5 nail

clippings

- Min. of 2

square cm area

of skin.

All the samples are to be air

dried before packing.

Air dry

20

1 2 3 4 5 6

6 Examination

of diatoms

(Cases of

drowning)

Tissues

(Lungs)/ Bones

(Sternum &

Femur)

- Min. 5 gms of

tissue

- 1 long bone

- Control water

sample from

the incident

spot (Min.1 ltr.)

- Use sterile wide mouth

bottle for water

- Lungs to be preserved in

common salt solution.

- Bone to be air dried

before packing.

Packed & sealed in a

suitable plastic/ glass

container

- Bones to be packed

in a paper packet

- All the articles to be

dispatched within a

week for best results.

7 Animal origin

– domestic &

wild animals.

(Cases under

wild life

preservation)

Meat tissue/

Teeth/blood

scrapings/bloo

d

stains/clothes/

Weapons/soil

samples

- Tissue 5 gms

- Teeth (all)

- Scrapings- 1g,

- Cloth / stains

(5 sq. cm area).

- Soil 100 gms

- Meat samples to be

preserved in common salt

solution

- Clothes and weapons to

be air dried

8 Serology

analysis -

origin &

grouping

(Includes all

types of cases

mentioned

above)

Stained

cuttings/

scrapings,

liquid blood,

extracts,

Meat tissue/

Teeth/ hair

with bulb etc.,

Min. of either 5

sq. cms. Or 1 ml

or 500mg or

tuft of hairs.

- All the samples are to be

air dried.

- Liquid blood to be

preserved in EDTA at 40 c

- Meat /tissue preserved in

salt solution

- All cloth materials

- All the articles to be

dispatched within a

week for best results

- Liquid blood

samples to be

referred within 24-48

hrs along with proper

refrigeration.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

1. Wearing of hand gloves is mandatory for collection of all types of biological evidence.

2. Only sterile cotton / swabs are to be used for collection of trace materials.

3. All the exhibits are to be air dried under shade only. Direct sun light, hot air blower or

any heater should never be used to dry the stains.

4. Scrapings of the stained materials, hairs, fibers, small tissues are to be removed with the

help of scalpel / tweezers and placed in suitable clean and dry paper bags / envelops.

5. All the sample are to be stored at cool and dry place till they are dispatched to Forensic

Science laboratories for further analysis.

6. All the samples must be packed and sealed separately.

7. As far as possible, all the samples are to be accompanied with necessary control

samples.

8. In case of bones & teeth, atleast two intact whole bones should be sent in the order of

preference, namely – femur, tibia, humerus, teeth (molar) and ribs.

9. While collecting hair samples, a tuft of hairs containing atleast 25 hair samples or 10

gms of hairs with hair follicles / roots are to be collected.

10. Packaging of all biological evidence are to be under taken in paper bags or envelopes

(plastic should never be used). The packaging of biological evidence in plastic or airtight

containers must always be avoided, because the accumulation of residual moisture

could contribute to the growth of bacteria and fungi which will lead to contamination /

disintegration of blood & other biological samples.

21

IV. FIREARMS SECTION

Sl.

No. Exhibits Precaution

Notes to be

maintained by IO

Markings for

Identification Mode of packing

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 Firearms 1. Don’t clean the weapon and barrel

2. If the firearm needs to be moved,

then it should be carefully handled

to avoid disturbing any potential

fingerprints or blood spatters that

may be deposited on the firearm.

3. The firearm should never be

packaged in the loaded condition

4. The firearm may be picked up using

checkered grips to avoid altering or

damaging existing fingerprints.

5. Never stick anything in the barrel of

the firearm to move it, this may

alter or change the rifling of the

barrel

6. Do not use handkerchief to pick up

the weapon.

7. If the weapon is jammed and

unloaded is possible, the sealed

package should be marked in bold

letters “WARNING! LOADED

WEAPON”

8. While unloading the weapon

a. Note the position of the safety

catch (locked position or not)

b. Mark the position of the chamber

with respect to the cartridges

c. Remove the magazine noting

down the number of cartridges

present.

9. If the muzzle of the firearm is

stained with blood and tissue

material, it should be air-dried and

protected by wrapping the

paper/cover around the muzzle

end, plugging should not be done.

– Documentation

using

photography,

sketching and

notes

– Place and

location of

recovery

– Type caliber,

make and serial

number of the

weapon

– The cocking

condition of the

firearm

– Safety position

of the firearm

– In case of

revolvers the

position of the

fired cartridge

case and live

chambers need

to be

diagramed and

noted and

photographed.

Identifying

marks are to

be made on

the side of the

firearm or

barrel, which

has

irremovable

parts only.

The firearm

should be

packaged in a

primary

container or

wrapping and

placed in a paper

bag, envelop or

cardboard boxes

specific for that

firearm.

The parcel

should be

properly labeled

indicating seizure

details.

22

1 2 3 4 5 6

2 Fired

cartridge

cases/

Live or

misfired

cartridges

1. The cartridge cases / misfired

cartridges if any, inside the chamber

of the firearm should be removed

and marked.

2. Do not press the trigger, if

cartridge is loaded in the chamber.

3. At times, the fingerprint of the

shooter can be developed on

cartridge cases. Therefore, the fired

cartridge cases/cartridges misfired

should be processed for fingerprints.

4. If the percussion cap is found

blown off, the same may be searched

for by sweeping the entire area.

5. Do not puncture the percussion

cap of the live cartridge

Note the details

available on the

head of the

cartridges/

cartridge cases.

Put the

identifying

mark on the

wall of the

cylindrical

surface of the

case with ink

and signature

or sign of

witnesses

- the articles are

packed using

suitable small

plastic box/

paper/ cloth bag

and sealed &

labeled

indicating seizure

details.

3 Bullets 1. If the fired bullet is found to be

embedded in a hard surface, the

area along with the bullet shall be

cut and removed.

2. No attempt should be made to

recover the bullet with any tools

3. Bullet should not be washed or

cleaned.

4. The bullet should not be meddled

by inserting it into the barrel or magazine of weapon.

–Note the

physical

appearance

–Number of lands

and groves with

twist of rifling.

–Caliber of the

bullet, if

possible.

No marking

should be

made on the

projectiles

found at the

crime scene.

Should be

wrapped in a soft

paper / cotton

and packaged in

a suitable

container and

labeled

indicating seizure

details.

5 Fired

wads and

pellets

Do not clean or wash – Note the

number on the

wads

– Types and size of

pellets, if

present.

Wrap in

separate paper

pieces &

marked.

Wrapped in a

soft paper and

packaged in a

container like

pill/match box

6 Gun

Powder

1. Note down the quantity present

2. Fill in a plastic container or zip-lip

bags.

Quantify prior to

packing

-

Packed & sealed

using any plastic

container.

7 Clothing A. Clothing of the victim

1. While removing the clothings of

the victim, avoid cutting or

tearing through or near the

suspected gunshot hole.

2. Under no circumstances, the

gunshot area should be folded

3. If folding is necessary keep white

clean paper between each sheet

of cloth

Location of the

gun shot hole

along with

physical

measurements to

be noted.

Keep it in a

clean paper

container

bearing

identification

mark

The clothing

must be carefully

packaged so as,

not to dislodge

any GSR

particles.

23

1 2 3 4 5 6

B. Clothing of Accused

If the accused caught immediately

after the incident, the accused

should be made to stand on a

white paper/cloth and remove his

wearings and submit the dust

collected along with the clothes for

GSR analysis.

Physical

measurements to

be noted.

All the clothings

are to be suitably

wrapped and

packed along

with labeling

containing

seizure details

7 Dents/

Holes on

the

targets

1. Do not probe the gun shot hole

2. The gun shot holes should be

photographed with/without scale.

3. Swab collections from the targets

around the gun shot hole/impact

are to be collected using cotton

dipped in 10 % HNO3, along with

control samples to be collected

away from the area of impact.

4. If the dents/holes are present on

the wall, scrapings are to be collected along with control.

Physical

measurements to

be noted.

Wrap in a

paper envelop

bearing

identification

marks and

Place in a small

paper or

plastic bag

In a polythene

self-sealing/zip

lock pouch with

secondary

packing using

envelop/box.

8 Glass

bearing

Gunshot

holes

1. Mark the glass surface for its front

and back

2. Photograph the gunshot holes with

and without scale

3. Examination of the glass fractures

of the vehicle is to be done at the

crime scene itself, since any

motion induced to the vehicle is

likely to dislocate the proper

evidence.

4. Collect the swab around the area

of impact by cotton dipped in 10%

HNO3 solution, along with the

control

The measurement

of the hole size

and the pattern of

gunshot residue

are to be noted.

– Identification

marks to be

made at the

edges on the

plain surface

of the glass

using

permanent

markers.

– The pattern

of fracture

should not

be disturbed.

The entire glass

bearing gunshot

holes should be

sent to the

laboratory by

sandwiching in

between the two

thermo-coal

sheets and

cardboard

sheets.

9 GSR

Residues

1. The person collecting hand wash

should wear hand gloves.

2. The person should not have

handled any ammunition or any

target materials which are

suspected to have gunshot

residues, before collecting GSR.

3. The hands of the victim should be

photographed if there is any

backward blood spatters present.

1. Whether the

shooter is right

handed or left

handed.

2. Date and time

of incident

3. Date and time

of collection of

swab

Identification

marks on the

primary and

secondary

packing are to

be made.

Should be

collected in a

polythene zip

lock cover or

self-sealing

covers and

secondary

packing using

envelop or cloth

bags.

24

1 2 3 4 5 6

4. GSR collection must be done

within 6 hours on live subjects and

they should not be allowed to

wash their hands or extensively

contact their hands with other

surfaces.

5. The body should not be moved

before GSR collection, if the same

is to be subjected for hand wash

collection.

6. If no sampling can be done at the

scene then bagging the hands with

paper bags should be done.

7. Collection on hand swabs

a. Use 5 % nitric acid or distilled

water

b. Use ear buds or pure cotton

c. Collect control sample

d. Pack, mark and seal in

polythene zip lock bags

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

1. Wearing of hand gloves is mandatory for inspection and collection of any type of fire arm

evidence.

2. Each item of fire arm evidence such as - fire arms, ammunitions, clothings, blood splatters,

glass fractures, dead bodies are to be properly documented using photography, sketching and

notes depicting the locations and directions.

3. All the materials seized are to be referred to laboratory examination along with reference /

control cartridges, as early as possible without causing any inordinate delay.

4. The following are the guidelines issued for examination of dead body with fire arm injuries

a) Fingerprint of the victim should not be taken prior to postmortem examination

b) Do not place bed sheets or blankets over dead bodies.

c) Document the position of the body in relation to the physical evidences present.

d) The crime scene should be documented in various angles, along with the each and every

blood stain spatters present on the body of the victim as well as around the crime scene

e) Ensure protection of the trace evidences while transporting the body to the mortuary.

f) All the firearms injuries should be photographed with and without scale.

g) The hand stabbings should be taken at the crime scene itself. Otherwise, the hands of the

deceased are to be covered with clean paper bags while transporting the body.

h) The cloth of the victim / deceased should be air-dried, packed, stored and transported in

such a way that the evidence does not get destroyed.

i) Insist the medical officer to take X-ray of the body before starting autopsy

j) The IO should insist the medical officer to collect projectiles, wads and also any other

foreign materials lodged inside the body.

24

V. CHEMICAL SECTION

Sl.

No.

Types of

cases

Types of

samples

referred

Quantity

required

Method of sample collection

& preservation

Precautions

1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Explosive

Cases

a. Live Bomb/

Improvised

explosive

Device (IED)/

Detonators/

fireworks etc.,

- Diffused

explosive

materials as a

whole.

- Liquid / gas

samples

- Soil / loose

materials

- Unconsumed

explosives

(Low & High)

– The entire live bomb / IED /

detonators and other

explosives are to be

properly diffused by taking

the help of bomb disposal

squad. And the diffused

materials are to be packed

in paper packets/ plastic

containers separately.

– The detonators shall be

placed in cotton bed and

then packed using suitable

container.

– The packed materials are to

be sealed & labeled

properly indicating the

circumstances of seizure.

– Exhibits should be

collected only wearing

hand gloves.

– Search is to be made

for explosive residue

samples and other

evidences like metal

pieces, detonators,

switches, timer

devices, un-exploded

materials etc.,

– Special care should be

taken while

transporting to FSL

because detonators are

very sensitive for any

friction/ heat / light.

b. Ammonium

nitrate bags

25gms each of

representative

samples from

the packages.

– All the materials are to be

packed in suitable paper

packets / plastic containers

separately making cotton

padding, wherever

necessary.

– The packed materials are to

be sealed & labeled

properly indicating the

circumstances of seizure.

Special care should be

taken while transporting

the materials to

FSL/RFSLs because,

some of the explosive

mixtures are very

sensitive to light & heat.

c. Gel explosive

cartridges

One each of

representative samples

d. Cord wires or

Leg wires

One each of

representative

samples

e. Cracker or

cracker boxes

One each of

representative

samples

2. NDPS

Cases

a. Ganja (Bhang),

charas, and

hashish oil

(cannabis

plant & its

extracts).

– Min. of 24gms

of Plant,

Seeds, Leaves,

Fruiting &

flowering top.

– Min. of 5gms

of extract

– whole plant

– Wet plant samples are to

be dried, packed and sealed

in a clean cloth packet.

– Zip lock plastic covers can

be used for extracted

samples and then packed

inside a plastic container.

– Zip lock plastic cover and

then packed in a paper

1. Any officer from the

departments of

Police, Excise, Drugs

control, Revenue &

other authorized

State Government

Depts., and any such

officer from the

departments of

Central Excise,

Narcotics, Customs,

25

1 2 3 4 5 6

b. Opium (Poppy

plant extract)

– Min. of 24gms

of poppy husk/

poppy straw/

seed pod

– Opium

derivative 5g.

envelope / suitable

container

– Clean & dry plastic

container to be used.

– Solid samples should be

kept in heat sealed plastic

bags.

– Liquid samples should be

kept in leak proof plastic

bottles.

– The sealed envelope

should be marked properly

as original & duplicate.

– Quantity to be drawn for

sampling from the bulk

seizures and serially

numbered.

NDPS – 5gms.

Opium/Ganja – 24gms

& charas/hashish

– The labels on each packet

should indicate gross

weight, net weight,

particulars of drug and

date of seizure

Revenue intelligence

or any authorized

department of Central

Government can

enter, search and

seize any NDPS drug

2. Two representative

samples are to be

packed separately

along with witness

signatures marking

them as ‘Original’ &

‘Duplicate’.

3. The seized samples

should be weighed on

the spot noting down

the details of weighing

machine.

4. All the seizures are to

be documented &

recorded properly.

5. The drawn samples

should be sent to the

laboratory for analysis

within 3 days.

c. Powder NDPS

drugs

Minimum of 5g

d. Liquid NDPS

sample

Minimum of

5g/5ml

e. Tablet/

capsule

Strip of 10

tablets

f. Bulk samples

and packages

– All, if packages

are less than

ten.

– Random

selection of 10

samples if there

are 10 to 100

packages

– Random

selection of

samples equal

to Sq.root of

total bulk

packages, if >

100 packages.

3. Petroleum

products

a. Petrol/Diesel

Adulteration

samples such

as Naphtha,

Kerosene,

special boiling

solvents,

mineral

turpentine oil,

lubricating oil

etc.,

b. Blue Kerosene

c. Organic/

Industrial

solvents

including

Adulterated

samples

Minimum of 1

liter of sample

from each

container/barrel

/retail outlet.

Along with

standard

samples of the

respective

companies.

- In case of tanker / lorry 3

samples of 1ltr. from each

compartment of MS/HSD

has to be collected.

- In case of petrol bunks /

retail outlets, 6 samples of

1 ltr., each from each tank

of the outlet should be

collected.

- Atleast 3 standard samples

of 1 ltr., each is to be

collected, in respect of

samples seized from petrol

bunks.

- For sampling from retail

outlets/drums etc., leak

proof Aluminum container

with air tight lid should be

used, Along with wooden

box for packing.

- Before collecting the

suspected MS

samples, filter paper

test may be

conducted to detect

any oil stains, which

indicates the presence

of higher boiling

petroleum fractions.

- All the samples are to

be packed air tight

and sealed in such

way that there are no

leakage.

- All the packed samples

are to be sealed and

labeled properly

containing seizure

details along with the

product details.

26

1 2 3 4 5 6

4. Liquor

(Alcoholic

drinks,

Adultera-

ted liquor

/Toddy &

locally

prepared

liquors)

Illicit Liquor,

denatured

alcohol,

methyl alcohol

and liquors

prepared from

Coco-palm, rice,

molasses/

jaggery etc.,

- 180ml each of

representative

sample, from

each container/

can seized.

Samples to be collected using

leak proof Glass / Plastic

containers and packed air

tight, so that no loss occurs.

- All the packed samples

should be leak proof.

- The packed samples

are to be sealed and

labeled properly

containing seizure

details along with the

product details.

5. General

Cases

(Adulterat

ion, Gold

cheating,

Acid

throwing,

Dowry

harassme

nt, Fire

accident

etc.,)

Unknown

Chemical

compounds/

liquid / Acid

samples / dyes/

Powders/ resins

/ Chili powder /

Metallic objects

like Aluminum,

copper, gold,

platinum etc.,

- Clothes &

other materials

containing

liquid / acid /

powder stains

- Min. of 50gms

of powder from

each questioned

item or whole

sample

- Min. of 100ml

of liquid from

each questioned

item or whole

sample

- 100gms of

each Solid /

Metal/ from

each questioned

item or whole

sample

- Powder samples to be

packed in paper / plastic

sachets / Zip lock plastic cover

- Liquid samples to be packed

in air tight leak proof glass/

plastic containers.

- Solid samples are to be

packed either in plastic cover

or cloth packet with

necessary padding.

- Control samples along with

the questioned /

representative samples may

also be collected and packed

as mentioned above.

- All the packed samples

should be leak proof.

- All the materials

suspected to be

flammable should be

separately packed in

metal containers; plastic

or polythene bags

should not be used for

packaging.

- The packed samples

are to be sealed and

labeled properly

containing seizure

details / product details.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES

1. Wearing of hand gloves is mandatory for inspection and collection of any type of chemical

evidence, particularly in fire accident, arson & explosion cases.

2. Acids and other corrosive substances should not be handled with bare hands.

3. In case of fire accident, arson and bride burning, all the relevant burnt materials such as clothes,

vehicle parts, wooden materials are to be collected and packed separately. In addition, cotton

swabs & soil samples from different suspected areas shall also be collected.

4. The explosive substances which are suspected to be live should not be sent directly for analysis.

All the live explosives should be got defused by Bomb disposal squad and the remnants after

diffusion should only be sent for examination.

5. In cases of explosion, maximum number of debris (including 100 gms of soil from the crater site

along with control collected at about 50 meters away from the crater) such as remnants of

container, pipe pieces, detonator wires, battery pieces, nails etc., are to be collected, which will

help in reconstructing the crime scene and detection of relevant explosive substances used

during blasting.

6. In NDPS cases, the bulk quantity of drugs / control substances seized should be serially

numbered before taking representative sample from each consignment. The gross & net weight,

particulars of the drug and the date of seizure shall be invariably indicated on each package.

27

VI. COMPUTER FORENSICS DIVISION

Sl.

No. Types of cases

Types of samples

referred

Method of sample

collection & preservation Precautions

1 2 3 5 6

1. Computer fraud

Hacking

Child abuse &

pornography

Network intrusion

Homicide

Domestic violence

Financial fraud

Counterfeiting

Software piracy

Telecommunication

fraud

Identity theft

Morphing

Extortion

Voice & Video

recording

E-mail threats

Harassment &

stalking

Narcotics trafficking

Phishing

(Identity theft)

Cyber Terrorism

Theft of digital

devices.

a. Mobile phones

(Basic model JAVA,

symbian, Android,

IOS, Windows &

Chinese phones) b. SIM cards

(Standard, Micro &

Nano/ GSM, CDMA

etc., ) c. Micro SD cards

(Secondary storage

devices of various

capacities from 1GB

to 64 GB and

above)

– All the seized mobile

phones are preferably

kept in a Faraday bag.

– Accidental touch on the

screen should be

avoided.

– The password of the

phone to be set to none

and the phone is to be

set to “flight mode”.

– Then only, the battery,

SIM cards & Memory

Card (SD Card) are to be

removed and packed

separately.

– Care should be taken

to see that, all the

articles are

individually bubble

wrapped, so that they

are not damaged

during transit.

– All the articles are

individually

numbered & packed

separately using cloth

packets and labeled

as “Fragile – Handle

with care”

– The IO labels on each

of the articles shall

contain seizure

details

– Do not access any

files either in Laptop/

Desktop computers. If

the computer is ‘Off’,

leave it as it is. If it is ‘On’, do not meddle

with the system to

ensure safety of the

computer data.

– Photographs of the

computer system

either in ‘Off’ / ON

position to be taken,

depicting the location

and any electronic

media attached.

– Diagram the laptop

and its surroundings

and label them

separately for future

identification, before

packing.

d. Desktop

Computers / CPU

(IDE, SATA, SCSI,

SAS etc.,)

e. Internal Hard Disks

& External Hard

disks

f. Laptops

(various models

with different

storage capacities)

– The CPU should be

unplugged immediately

from the main

connections.

– If the internal Hard Disk is

easily removable, the

same may be removed

properly and packed

separately. Or otherwise

the whole CPU should be

sent for analysis.

– External Hard Disks, if any

are packed separately

along with their

connecting cables.

– Disconnect all cords and

devices from the tower.

If the system does not

shutdown in case of

Laptop, Ipad, Tablet etc.,

locate and remove the

battery pack. Once the

battery is removed, do

not return it to or store

in the system.

28

1 2 3 5 6

g. Flash / Pen /thumb

drives

h. Camera & SD cards

i. Digital Video

Recorders (DVR)

j. CD / DVD/ Blue ray

disks

k. Printer / scanner /

plotter etc.,

l. Dongles & Modems

– The pen / thumb drives

are to be capped or

otherwise kept in zip lip

lock covers.

– The camera should be

shut down and then only

the SD card should be

removed.

– The camera and the SD

cards are to be marked

and packed separately

along with connecting

cables, if any.

– The DVR should be

unplugged and packed,

so that the instrument is

not damaged during

transit.

– The CD / DVD/ Blue ray

disk are put in respective

CD covers and then

packed in a plastic /

polythene covers.

– All the articles are

individually bubble

wrapped, so that they

are not damaged

during transit.

– All the articles are

individually

numbered & packed

separately using cloth

packets and labeled

as “Fragile – Handle

with care”

– The IO labels on each

of the articles shall

contain seizure

details

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES :

1. The officer at the crime scene should ensure his safety first and then secure the crime scene and

take control of the area containing the system.

2. The surrounding area of the digital evidences is to be photographed prior to moving any

evidence. The Photographs include the system from front and back as well as cords and

connected devices, as found. The display on the screen, if any may also be photographed.

3. Documentation of all the steps involved in the seizure of the device and related components is

one of the important requirements for further investigation.

4. The digital evidences seized should be kept away as far as possible from the media, including

tower, magnets, radio transmitters and other potentially damaging devices.

5. The instruction manuals, separate CDs containing software, documentation notes, and printouts

if any near the system may also be collected and sent to the laboratory along with the concerned

digital evidences seized.

6. Care should be taken to see that all the digital evidence materials should not be

dropped/hammered/broken or subjected to heat, magnetic field, electrical field, electromagnetic

fields and exposed to wet environments like moisture, humidity & water.

29

VII. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY DIVISION

Sl.

No

Types of cases

Various

subjects /

persons

referred

Nature of

examination

required

Precautions to be observed while bringing the

subjects along with the required documents.

1 2 3 5 6

1. Homicide

Attempt to

murder

Assault

Theft & Dacoity

Attempted

suicide

Sexual assaults

including cases

under POCSO

Act.,

Organized &

terrorist crimes

White collared

crimes

Economic

offences

Drug abuse

Cheating &

extortion etc.,

- Complainants

- Suspects

- Witnesses

- Accused

- Victims

- Conspirators

- Polygraph

examination

(lie detection

test)

- Psychological

assessment

- Brain

mapping

(Brain finger

printing/

EEG)

- Narco

analysis

(Hypnosis

test)

- The IO shall ensure that the subjects volunteer

for the polygraph test and they should be sent

through escorts.

- The subjects can appear along with their

advocates as per NHRC guidelines.

- The consent should be recorded before a Judicial

Magistrate.

- Before subjecting for polygraph test, the IO shall

make thorough investigation and collect the

relevant documents including physical evidence,

mobile call details, Inquest & PM reports, injury

reports, age certificates etc.,

- The IO shall bare in mind that Polygraph test

cannot be conducted on the subjects hard of

hearing, lunatics or person suffering from acute

high blood pressure, Asthama or expecting

mothers.

- Recent medical history of the subject is an

advisable pre requisite for forensic psychology

tests.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

1. The Investigating Officer is advised to send a requisition, forwarded by either Superintendent of

Police or Sub-Divisional Police Officer for fixing the date of polygraph examination.

2. While sending the requisition, the investigating officer shall attach photocopies of all the relevant

documents such as FIR, Statements of the accused / suspects, victims, witnesses etc., relevant to

the case. Crime Scene Photographs or Crime Scene sketch, Spot visit reports, Photograph of the

accused / suspects, Post Mortem report/ Injury report if any, Brief history of the case and

permission from the Jurisdictional Magistrate.

3. As polygraph test is essentially a psychological test, any type of fatigue or exhaustion are to be

avoided by avoiding long journeys and providing sufficient rest & food for the subjects.

4. In case of lady subject, a lady Constable/Home guard shall accompany the subject, who will

remain present throughout the examination.

5. All minor subjects shall be accompanied by their parents / guardians compulsorily, who will also

countersign the consent form.

6. If the accused volunteers for a lie detector test, he shall be given access to a lawyer. Further, the

physical, emotional and legal implications of such a test should be explained to him by the

Investigating Officer and the lawyer.

30

VIII. QUESTIONED DOCUMENTS DIVISION

Sl.

No.

Types of material

evidence /

documents

encountered

Types of samples

referred

Method of collection

Marking, packing & sealing

of documents along with

precautions

1 2 3 5 6

1. I. Documents

Cheque, DD,

Withdrawal slips,

Receipts, Stamp

paper, Marks

card, Answer

script, Admission

ticket,

Invigilators

attendance sheet,

Service register,

Attendance

register, Official

letters, RC Book,

Driving licence,

Bus pass, Trip

entry sheet,

Passport, Diary,

Letters,

Photo/negatives

II. Material

evidence

– Writing

instruments

– (Pen, Ball pen,

pencils, paper,

ink etc., )

– Computer & its

peripherals.

– Mobiles

– Video / still

cameras

– Typewriters,

Printers,

Scanners and

Photocopiers

– Rubber stamp,

Seals, Ink pads

used by accused

a. Writings/

signatures

(Questioned,

Admitted and

exemplar/

specimen writings

& signatures)

In case of

questioned

writings and

signatures are

on immovable

objects, they

should be

documented by

taking

photographs

Copy of the

Photographs

with negative/

memory card/

CD should be

sent.

– Admitted writings are available

in banks, government

documents, police records,

business establishment and from

friends and relatives, and other

official records etc.,

– Contemporary documents may

be selected to contain similar

pattern of signatures, text,

letters, words, figures and

combination as appearing in

disputed documents.

– While preparing exemplar

writings from the suspect;

Questioned writings should not

be shown.

Preferably, similar type of paper

(plain / rule) shall be provided.

Similar writing instrument shall

be provided.

The suspect shall be made

comfortable & similar text may

be dictated at reasonable

speed.

The specimen writings/

signatures shall also be obtained

in slow, medium and fast

speeds.

If the accused is disguising,

he/she be called after 3-4 days

to give further samples.

The suspect / accused shall

endorse the writings with

his/her signatures as ‘Given by

me voluntarily’ on each

specimen sheet.

In case of old persons, their age

/ health conditions may be

recorded.

– All the questioned,

admitted and specimen

writings / signatures

should be encircled

completely with red pen

or pencil.

– The questioned items

shall be marked in Q

series (Q1, Q2, Q3….).

– The admitted items shall

be marked in A series

(A1,A2, A3, ….).

– The Specimen items

shall be marked in S

series (S1,S2,S3,….)

– Each document should

be separately packed,

sealed and labeled

properly.

– The envelope should be

wax sealed in such a way

that it is tamper proof.

– The requisition letter

shall contain Invoice,

brief facts of the case,

attested sample seal

along with other details

of the items sent.

31

1 2 3 5 6

b. Additions,

alterations,

obliterations,

erasures,

overwritings

etc.,

The entire original questioned

documents / records where

tampering is suspected, are to

be provided.

Each of the questioned

exhibits shall be encircled

completely with red pen or

pencil and marked serially.

Each document should be

separately packed, sealed

and labeled properly.

The requisition letter shall

contain Invoice, brief facts

of the case, attested

sample seal along with

other details of the items

sent.

2. Typewriter/ Typescripts/print

outs

- Specimen typed

text taken from

the questioned

typewriter in

the presence of

witnesses.

- Admitted typed

text obtained

from official

records /

documents.

– Contemporary admitted typed

text in six sheets or more.

– The six sheets shall contain

typed texts at one side only.

– The sheets will contain similar

text to that of the questioned

typed text to be compared.

All the questioned and

specimen/ sample typed

script should be encircled

completely with red pen

or pencil.

The questioned items

shall be marked in Q

series (Q1, Q2, Q3….).

The Specimen / sample

typed scripts shall be

marked in S series

(S1,S2,S3,….)

Each item/document

should be separately

packed, sealed and

labeled properly along

with necessary requisition

for examination.

3. Rubber seals &

impressions

(All documents

containing seal

impressions

including logo,

company name,

emblem and

designation

seals.

Questioned rubber / metal specimen

seals

OR

Specimen / sample

seal impressions

Obtained from the

questioned/specimen seal by

the I.O. in presence of

witnesses.

Obtained from the official

records/documents from the

concerned department or

organization.

Contemporary admitted

documents containing

minimum six seal impressions.

Four to six seal impressions

obtained on six sheets

separately depending upon the

size of the rubber stamp.

All the questioned and

specimen seal

impressions should be

encircled completely with

red pen or pencil.

The questioned items

shall be marked in Q

series (Q1, Q2, Q3….).

The Specimen / sample

seal impressions shall be

marked in S series

(S1,S2,S3,….)

Each item/document

should be separately

packed, sealed and

labeled properly along

with necessary requisition

for examination.

32

1 2 3 5 6

4. Printings - Questioned

printings

- Specimen /

sample

printings

obtained from

the concerned

dept. /

organization

- The Questioned printings are to be

attested by the IO along with

witnesses.

- Sufficient specimen / sample

printings may be obtained for

comparison

- All the questioned and

specimen/sample printings

should be encircled completely

with red pen or pencil.

- The questioned printings shall be

marked in Q series

- Specimen/sample printings shall

be marked in S series

Each document should be

separately packed, sealed

and labeled properly.

The requisition letter shall

contain Invoice, brief facts

of the case, attested

sample seal along with

other details of the items

sent.

5. Charred

Documents

Whole charred

document

- The charred documents are to be

lifted carefully by sliding sheets

of papers or OHP sheets from

both the sides.

- The collected material shall be

placed in a suitable box with

padding material like cotton/

sponge placed on the upper layer

of paper, before the container is

sealed.

- If the charred documents are

found in more than one place

then they should be collected

separately and packed in

separate boxes.

- The packing box /

materials shall be marked

in Q series (Q1, Q2, Q3….).

- The requisition letter shall

contain Invoice, brief facts

of the case, attested

sample seal along with

other details of the items

sent.

6. Suicide Note - Questioned

writings on

paper, Envelopes,

Note books,

Writings on hand

& body, on wall

etc.,

- Std. /specimen

writings written

in the ordinary

course of

business on the

relevant

documents.

- The movable suicide notes on

paper and other documents shall

be collected as a whole and

placed in a paper / cloth

packaging.

- If the suicide note is found on

the dead body or any immovable

object, the same should be

documented by taking

photographs.

- Copy of the Photographs along

with negative / memory card/ CD

shall be sent.

- Each item/document

should be separately

packed, sealed and

labeled properly.

- The requisition letter shall

contain Invoice, brief facts

of the case, attested

sample seal along with

other details of the items

sent.

33

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

1. All the documents may be carefully checked by the Investigating Officer

with respect to the quality of paper and printing in a disputed document.

2. The Investigating Officer will have to carefully observe to ascertain that

the writings / signatures are original or photocopied or scanned or have

been obtained through tricks / transplantation.

3. The documents may perused for specific evidence of any words / letters /

lines are added, deleted, erased or obliterated from the original text.

4. The admittedly genuine writings / signatures shall be obtained from

official records of contemporaneous documents duly proved U/s 47 of I.E.

Act.

5. The specimen / sample / exemplar writings should be obtained from the

suspect considering the principle of “comparison of like with like”.

6. In case of forged documents, the suspects generally practice forgery on

personal diary, exercise book, loose sheets, news papers & cuttings etc.,

These articles, if available at the scene of crime may be collected and

sealed separately.

7. The rubber stamps, seals, writing instruments, inkpots, carbon paper,

tracing paper etc., if found at the scene of crime shall also be collected

separately and labeled with full details.

8. It is preferred that only original documents should be submitted to the

laboratory for examination and comparison. The photocopies or scanned

copies are not suitable for scientific comparison as they do not show all

the details of original documents.

9. Lamination of the documents should not be done. Alternatively, the

documents may be kept in plastic covers

34

IX. DNA DIVISION

Sl.

No

Type of

sample

Source of sample Method of collection,

Preservation and package

Transportations Precautions

1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Liquid

Blood

a. Living Person Intravenous blood in EDTA

vacutainer (2-5 ml)

OR

About 0.5 ml of blood on

cotton gauze and air dried and

packed in a paper envelope

and sealed using cotton cloth

– Samples to

be kept in

thermos flask

or thermocol

box filled

with ice or

cold packs.

– The liquid

blood

samples are

to be

transported

at the earliest

or within 72

hours.

– Use only

disposable

syringes for

collection of

blood.

– Airtight containers

or polythene bags

should not be

used for

packaging liquid

samples

b. Dead Person

(During autopsy)

In EDTA vacutainer (2-5 ml)

direct from cardiac puncture

c. On the body or

at the crime

scene

The suspected liquid blood is to

be absorbed on to a clean and

sterile cotton cloth or swab.

The same is to be thoroughly

air dried at room temperature

and packed in a brown

envelope and sealed using

cotton cloth

2. Wet Blood

stains

a. Wet clothes

from the crime

scene, victim

or the suspect.

Small pieces from wet clothes

are collected in sterile tubes

and equal volume of normal

saline is added.

OR

The blood clots are transferred

onto a cotton gauze cloth, air

dried and packed in paper

envelope and sealed using

cotton cloth

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

–All the wet clothes

thoroughly air dried

at room

temperature and

packed separately

using paper

envelopes and

sealed using cotton

cloth.

–The wet articles

shall never be dried

directly under

sunlight, hot air

blower, heater etc.,

–Instead they have

to be dried in shade

at room

temperature.

–Do not use airtight

containers or

polythene bags for

packing blood

stained articles

b. In Water or

Snow:

The suspect liquid blood /

stains are absorbed onto a

clean, sterile cotton cloth or

swab. Then it is air dried at

room temperature and packed

in paper envelope and sealed

using cotton cloth

OR

Suspected blood in water/snow

is collected immediately in

clean and air tight container.

Refrigerated and submitted to

the lab in ice box/ice pack

35

1 2 3 4 5 6

3. Dried

Blood

Stains

a. Stains found

on Immovable

Objects/

Surface, at the

crime scene.

The stains may be transferred

onto a moistened clean cotton

gauze cloth with sterile water

or saline by rubbing against the

immovable objects / surface;

air dried and packed in a paper

envelope. OR

The stains may be scraped on

to a paper with sterile scalpel

or surgical blade and packed in

a paper envelope

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

– The swabs/

scrapings from

different spots are

collected

separately.

– Control /blank

samples are also

collected in

sufficient quantity

from adjacent

areas.

b. Stains found

on the Vehicle

upholstery,

Carpet, Wall

paper, wood,

bricks, etc.,

– The stained area may be cut

out and dried in shade.

– Unstained cuttings are also

collected as control from

adjacent areas.

c. Stains found

on Weapon/

fire arm/bullet

and other

small objects

such as house

hold utensils.

– The stained items may be

allowed to air dry

thoroughly, before

collecting the whole items.

– Each item should be packed

separately and sealed using

cotton cloth

4. Semen a. Liquid / wet

semen found

at the Crime

Scene or any

Object such as

Condom,

grass, earth

etc.,

– The samples are collected

using sterile cotton

cloth/swab, air dried and

packed in paper

packet/envelope

– The condom may be picked

up using clean and sterile

blunt tipped forceps

– The fluid from the condom is

taken on a clean sterile cloth

and air dried.

– All the articles are packed in

a paper cloth separately and

sealed using cotton cloth.

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

Plastic containers /

covers should not be

used for packing the

biological stains.

b. Dried Seminal

Stains found

on Garments,

Bed, Bed

Sheets, Carpet

floor, etc.

– Whole item bearing stain is

to be collected.

– OR otherwise the dried

stained area may be cut

from the suspected item.

– The stains / items are

further air dried and packed

separately.

36

1 2 3 4 5 6

5. Vaginal/

Anal/Oral

swabs

Victim, Accused The concerned Medical Officer

may be requested to collect

the respective swabs

separately, air dried and

packed in a paper envelope or

in a sterile glass vial

He may also be requested to

prepare smear slide from the

swab and forward both to the

laboratory.

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

– All the swabs are

to be collected on

to sterile cotton

and transferred to

a sterile glass vial.

– The oral swabs

may be collected

by rubbing the

inner surface of

the buckle cavity

(cheeks)

thoroughly and

then air dried.

6. Tissues a. Aborted

foetus

It is recommended that the

foetus is separated from the

maternal and placental tissue

and sent as such using common

salt as preservative

OR

Muscle tissue samples of

about 1 to 2 cubic cm shall be

collected in sterile glass tube

having normal saline

– The samples

may be kept

in thermo

coal box filled

with ice are

coolent packs

and sealed

properly

before

sending them

to the

laboratory.

– The samples

are to be

submitted to

the laboratory

as early as

possible

without

causing

undue delay.

– Reference blood

samples of mother

and suspected

father should also

be collected and

sent as per the

methods

suggested for

sending liquid

blood samples.

– Formalin should

never be used for

preserving tissue/

foetal remains.

– All the samples are

to be packed

separately & sent.

b. From the Dead

Body:

– Fragmented

– Mutilated

– Decomposed

– partially burnt

– At Crime

scene or place

of recovery

2 Cubic Inch of red skeletal

muscle Tissue/Organ/Viscera

should be placed in a clean

sterile container having normal

saline

7. Bone/

Teeth/

Skeletal

fragments

Dead body/Crime

scene/place of

recovery

– The Bones/teeth recovered

from any debris are cleaned &

washed, thoroughly air dried

at room temperature. Roll

packed in a brown paper and

sealed using cotton cloth.

– Atleast two intact bones each

of - such as - femur, tibia,

humerus, teeth (molar) and

ribs are collected and sent in

the order of preference.

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

– In the absence of

molar teeth, other

available teeth

may be sent.

– All the items are to

be properly air

dried before

packing.

– Completely burnt

bones are not

useful for DNA

analysis.

37

1 2 3 4 5 6

8. Hair with

root

Crime scene,

weapon, victim,

suspect’s body

and clothing etc.

– Hairs have to be picked up

and collected using tweezers/

forceps.

– If found attached in a dried

blood, weapon, etc., entire

item along with sticky hair/s

should be packed intact.

– Tuft of hair samples from

either the victim or suspect

are to be collected. The

reference sample may

contain 50-100 strands

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

– All the wet hairs

are to be air dried

in shade.

– During medical

examination of

rape victim or

suspect, the

persons may be

ask to stand on a

paper and then the

pubic hairs are

collected by

combing the area.

– The recovered

should not be

cleaned or

washed.

9. Saliva and

Urine

a. Available at

crime scene in

liquid form.

– Suspected liquid saliva or

urine is absorbed on to a

clean cotton cloth or sterile

swab and air dried in shade.

– A portion of cloth or swab

shall be taken as control.

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

All the individual

samples are to be

packed separately in

paper envelopes and

sealed using cloth

packets.

b. Dry stains

found on small

objects

c. Cigarette butt/

Bidi / Chewing

gum

containing

saliva.

d. Dry stains

found on big

or immovable

objects

– The small objects including

cigarette / beedi butts,

chewing gums etc., are to be

picked up using clean forceps

and air dried

– Objects should be air dried

and packed in a clean paper

envelope

– The suspected portion of the

object is cut using a clean &

sharp instrument or suitable

scrapings / swabs may be

taken.

– An unstained control sample

is also collected and packed in

a clean paper envelope

10. Nail/Skin Crime scene,

Victim, Suspect

The available skin and nail

samples are to be collected

separately in either paper

envelops or plastic covers/

containers.

The samples are

to be submitted

to the

laboratory as

early as possible

without causing

undue delay.

38

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:

1. Wearing of hand gloves is mandatory for inspection and collection of any type of

biological evidence, sent for DNA analysis.

2. In case of maternity / paternity disputes, blood samples of mother, child and

suspected biological father are to be collected and sent.

3. In case of identification of un-identified dead body, skeletal remains etc., the blood

samples of nearest relations such as, mother, father, brother, sister, children are to

be collected and sent along with unidentified remains.

4. In case of identification of suspect in sexual assault cases, the exhibits collected from

the victim during medical examination (garments, vaginal/anal/oral swabs, slides

etc.,) and blood samples of the victim and suspects are to be collected and sent for

DNA analysis.

5. Any talking, sneezing and coughing over evidence should be avoided.

6. Only paper bags / sheets / wrappers and other porous packing materials are to be

used while packing biological evidences.

7. In order to meet the legal and scientific requirements for admissibility of DNA

evidence in the court of law, all the required exhibits are to be properly documented,

collected, preserved and packaged.

8. Formalin should never be used to preserve tissues and bones.

9. Collection of viscera sample, or bone should be avoided in cases, where muscle

tissue is available for DNA analysis

10. Completely burnt/broken bones, burnt or singed hairs may not be useful for

conducting DNA analysis and comparison.

CONCLUSION :

The Physical Evidences encountered during Crime Scene Investigations are of

vast, variety and range and it is impossible for any Investigating Officer to remember

the correct procedures to be followed for each item of evidence. Further, each type of

Physical Clues requires relevant method for its collection, handling, packing and

forwarding for Forensic Examination. Since, it is neither practical nor necessary for the

Forensic Teams to reach each and every place of crime, the Investigating Officer

him/herself should be capable of handling the situation, in any particular crime. The

above write-up will help and guide the I.O.s to bridge the gap in the application of

Forensic Science on Crime Scene Management. At some point of time, all the

information obtained from the Crime Scene Examination and Evaluation of the

Evidences, must be forged together in order to know what has actually happened. This

process known as 'Crime Scene Analysis' will help in the proper reconstruction of the

entire crime.