Forensic science

Questioned documents are documents whose authenticity is suspicious or uncertain. Guilty people most of the time use to burn important documents to hide their criminal activities and intentions. This is usually achieved by exposing the document to fire with/without any accelerant. These burnt documents may be linked to a substantial act of forgery, fraud, ransoms or any other serious offence. Present work has been attempted to study experimentally, certain government /nongovernment documents of UAE such as bank cheques and bank credit cards for the effect of heat/fire on these documents and further how these charred documents can be subjected to decipherment of any meaningful matter. For this study the bank cheques and credit cards with pre-written matter by different types of writing instruments and inks were considered. At that point, the written by hand certifications were signed until the point that the works turned out to be halfway or totally undetectable. The roasted reports were then appropriately gathered and were analyzed under a projectina inspec-8 by utilizing diverse light sources (non-damaging sources, for example, UV, IR, Retro and so on and saw under different wavelengths. Results demonstrated that the works on these singed reports can be apparently improved which can be used for encouraging criminological examinations. The writings were comparatively more visible under diverse wavelengths of lights. The results were recorded through proper photographic techniques.

Background: Fingerprints are the impressions left on any material by the volar surface also called finger bulbs of the fingers. As per the law of individuality, each individual has a unique set of tiny raised ridges or friction ridges that have been considered necessary in individualization in forensic work. Friction ridges over their surfaces bear the small openings known as sweat pores. The latter are connected to ducts of sweat glands. These pores are also unique to each individual as per many studies and vary in their shape, size, location, and frequency over the friction ridges. Poroscopy is a method of personal identification in which the characteristics of sweat pores on the friction ridge impression of palmar and plantar surfaces are examined. The present study aimed to uncover the similarities in the sweat pores present on the friction ridges of an individual in respect to their position 'middle or periphery' and to their frequency per unit length and per unit area. Materials and methods: A total number of 50 samples were collected randomly from different male individuals (graduate and postgraduate students at Amity University). Rolled fingerprint impressions were collected on FBI fingerprint cards. The collected samples were then analyzed through a stereo-microscope and photomicrography for the shape, position, and the number of sweat pores on the friction ridges per unit length and per unit area. Besides, the number of pores present on three different fingers 'Thumb, Index, Ring' of an individual were considered for this study. Results: Our results report that no relationship exists between the position and frequency of sweat pores occurring per unit length and per unit area. However, a significant correlation exists between the number of pores per unit length and per unit area of the Thumb and Ring fingers for the middle position. Also, a significant correlation was observed between the number of pores per unit length and per unit area of the Index and Ring fingers for the periphery position. Conclusions: This study may provide useful information about sweat pores present on friction ridges and their utilization for personal identification up to an extent in the cases where very few ridges will be encountered on the crime scene. These data can further be used in forensic research involving individual identification from poroscopy.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are having applications in different areas including remote sensing, real-time monitoring, environmental monitoring, agriculture, land use surveys, traffic surveillance, metereology and goods deleivery etc. In this study a comparative analysis is being made on various investigation techniques in forensic science with and without the use of UAVs. The analysis and impact of telecommunication and related aspects of a UAV is being examined in the area of forensic science to investigate the complex crime scenes more sophisticatedly and to help the investigators and forensic professionals in the proper scrutiny and mapping of the scene of crime. The present study is focused on the estimation of the practicality of the use of UAV and AI in crime scene investigation (CSI), feasibility of UAV in forensic science and its logistical implementation.

The Internet of Things (IoT)-based forensic investigations have raised new challenges with the increase in the number of objects of legal significance, the applicability of identified and collected devices, indistinct network boundaries, and edgeless networks. IoT releases new opportunities in forensic investigations. Relying on pieces of evidence from the IoT environment, forensic investigators and examiners can face many challenges from the identification, collection, organization and the preservation of shreds of evidence and the clues encountered besides, to the security challenges of IoT devices. Understanding different entities and approaches of IoT, as well as the differences between digital and IoT forensics, is becoming a crucial skill for forensic investigators. In the present manuscript, a plan has been clearly explained to assess different features of IoT forensics. An elucidation has been proposed to foster the connection and support for realistic investigations and challenges in different areas of forensic investigations in forensic science.

Polymers with cationic functional groups are proven to be an effective antimicrobial barrier. Particles, organic debris, and microbes can be well removed from drinking water using polymer membrane filtration. A variety of copolymers are utilized in the synthesis of such membranes. In this study, a copolymer membrane was synthesized first, and then Amidoximation was used to convert a portion of the copolymer's nitrile groups to amidoxime groups. The membrane was treated with HA at 60-80°C in an aqueous solution to obtain an Amidoximated film. After being treated with Nano Silver particles, the efficiency of the prefabricated and particularly produced copolymer film as an antibacterial water disinfectant was analyzed. Various techniques were used to analyse the virgin and Amidoximated Acrylic Copolymer Membranes (AACM), including X-ray diffraction (EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope, Transmission Electron Microscope, and Thermogravimetric analysis, Many substantial changes in the copolymer characteristics, including functionality, crystallinity, thermal activity, hydrophilicity, elemental composition, surface morphology, and antibacterial activity, were identified during the Amidoximation phase. It was revealed that an Amidoximated copolymer membrane outperforms an untreated membrane in terms of antibacterial activity.

Ballistics is defined as the study of projectile action, motion, and behavior in any given medium. The projectile travels down the barrel and in the medium towards the main target. In many severe crimes, firearms are the most widely used weapons. Forensic ballistics currently uses analytical techniques in the courtroom to ascertain the use of the suspected weapon in a particular crime and the technical advancement to measure and estimate the range of fire with greater precision along with the possible type of firearm used. The major concern arises in the cases where the firing happens through intermediate targets like clothing. Usually, the Gun Shot Residue (GSR) is present over the wound. Sometimes, the clothing items play a hindrance in the proper evaluation of the caliber of the weapon. The current work demonstrates the effect of 0.22 caliber bullets on different types of clothing using different types of firearms of the same caliber. It also indicates the approximation in the range of firing up to an extent. The main focus was given on the formation of entry and exit holes on different types of clothing material and then the deposition of GSR to study the effect. It was experimentally established that the size of the entry hole varies significantly on different types of clothing material, and the deposition of GSR and scorching pattern also shows noteworthy differences on various clothing materials.

Present paper deals with preliminary survey of noise level at four selected shopping malls which are commercial areas of Gurugram City. The study was carried out in the month of April, 2018. The comparable noise level was smaller, 57.76, 52.07, 61.11, and 55.3 at Sahara, MG metropolis, City Centre, and Ambiance Malls respectively, in the morning 10:00-11:00 am due to less customers, and higher, 79.04, 79.06, and 81.16 at Sahara, City Centre, and Ambiance Malls respectively, in the evening between 7:00-8:00 pm due to more customers. Co-relation between L10 and L90 level was also studied and it was observed that when the L10 level increases then the L90 level also increases at all the studied shopping Malls. Noise climate (NC) was also studied and Ambiance shopping malls characterizes the highest variation with the levels of 18.4. The noise level recorded was usually higher at all the locations than the prescribed limits of CPCB.

Crime Scene is a place where the crime has occurred. Crime scene recording is a crucial part of the investigation and reconstruction of an incident. An Investigation Officer usually records the crime scene with the aid of photography, videography, sketching, and preparing notes. During the sketching of the crime scene, measurements should be taken for the overall crime scene and the evidences for permanent records, court presentation, and crime reconstruction. Usually, measurement taking is a tedious task and time consuming as well. It requires much effort and several personals involvement. In this study, an attempt has been made to utilize the mobile applications available on iOS (iPhone Operating System) for crime scene measurement. Also, this study throws light on the efficacy of these tools during crime scene recording. As per the analysis, we found out that the mobile application methods are comparatively more efficient than manual tape measurement. These methods provide an easy tool for the crime scene measurements in a given time and keep a permanent record along with the pictures of the evidences and the measurements.

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles are gaining importance and has been suggested as possible alternative for several chemical and physical methods due to its cost effectives and green approach. The present work reports a facile and costeffective green synthesis of nano rust (iron oxide) using Camellia sinensis leaf extract. In the present study iron oxide nanoparticles were successfully employed as a promising developer for the visualization of latent fingerprints. Distinctive friction ridge patterns were developed on both porous and nonporous surfaces developed with iron oxide nanoparticles. Moreover biosynthesized nanomaterial provides a wide variety of advantages including facile green fabrication methodology, easy application, and high stability and shows enhanced contrast

With the realizing need to control fraud in the private and the public sector, we observe the past trends of corporate frauds, in terms of money laundering, counterfeit, misrepresentation of financial records by deviating rules, this mostly attracts developing economies which has spread its attention in various branches of the nation thus providing the right opportunity for criminal minds to set at work. Our paper focuses to, an aspect of accounting and helping auditors to prevent corporate fraud at an early stage. Paper also critically analyzes the impacts and scope of blockchain technology for auditing with the strong literature review in the field of blockchain technology and its application in the audit process. We have proposed a framework which uses the blockchain based IBC (Identity based cryptography), for blockchain node creation which will be added to the blockchain network. Any financial transaction can be properly audit with the implementation of this framework, as blockchain technology provides a very secure platform for the transaction and at the very same time auditing can also be completed because entire system of blockchain is transparent.

Signature is a written depiction of someone’s full name, nickname, or a simple letter that has been used on any desired document as an indication of their identity. It is a particular case of handwriting, which includes flourishes and special characters which are produced by the force of habit. Forensically, the signatures are examined for naturalness in execution and for consistent recurrent options that confirm the established practice pattern of the author and aids in the identification of the author in cases of disputes. Commonly used parameters for the signature analysis by the handwriting experts are the formation of the letters, alignment, embellishment, spacing, pen-lifts, pen-pauses, slant, initial & final strokes, and pressure. In some instances where people make initials instead of full signatures, it becomes challenging for the forensics and handwriting experts to compare such initials with complete signatures. The present work has been focused on extracting the similarities between the initial and the complete signatures of an individual to aid in the identification of an individual in such complicated cases. This study may contribute to the identification of the author in the matter of disputes where initials have been used intentionally or unintentionally.

During shooting incident reconstruction, the assessment of the firing range and determination of entrance and exit wounds are critical. However, when the firing is done on a harder surface of the human body such as the skull, it becomes difficult for the forensic examiner and the ballistic expert to determine the range of firing and caliber of the bullet through the severity of the fracture of the skull. The fracture pattern of the skull depends upon a number of factors like site of the fracture, distance of firing, any intermediate target, type and nature of the projectile, etc. The present study aimed to investigate the fracture pattern on the imitated human skull using different types of firearms and ammunition at a defined firing distance. The firing was initiated using 0.22-caliber CZ 75, 0.38-caliber Smith & Wesson firearms. The range of firing was fixed to 10 meters. The frontal and temporal positions of the skulls were chosen for the study. The projectile impact ratio of length and width at the entrance wounds were studied and compared for both the firearms. There was no significant difference observed in the projectile impact ratio of the entrance wound of skulls fired with 0.22-caliber at the frontal and temporal position. However, due to the immense damage of the skulls shot by 0.38-caliber, we could determine the projectile impact ratio for only one skull fired at temporal position. Altogether, our findings provided a better understanding of the range of firing and firearm caliber through the fracture pattern on the imitated human skulls.

Digital forensics is the application of forensic and scientific knowledge to retrieve information legally from any digital device such as computers and smartphones. This legally fetched information is then presented as a piece of evidence in the courtroom further. Computer forensics also refers to digital forensics. It is the fusion of domains such as network forensics, server forensics, computer forensics, internet forensics, social media forensics, memory forensics, online gaming, data/disk forensics, and VR forensics. While investigating digital crimes, different steps are involved. These include the identification, recovery, investigation, validation, and presentation of evidence. Recent research has demonstrated the immense succession of cyber threats and attacks, requiring forensic experts and forensic scientists to simplify the digital world system. Since digital forensics is straightforwardly interconnected to data recovery and data carving, this area is dealing with different technical, legal, and resource challenges. In contrast to that, malware's constant rise allows forensic sector slacking. The objective of the present study was to explore new dimensions of digital forensics such as internet forensics, social media forensics, and IoT forensics in various emerging fields. Together, all our findings allow a better understanding of digital forensics, which can be helpful in forensic investigation.

Disputed documents in forensic investigations are the documents whose authenticity is suspicious or uncertain. Guilty people, most of the time, try to burn the essential documents to hide their criminal activities and wrong intentions. This is usually achieved by exposing the document to fire with or without the use of an accelerant like kerosene or petrol. These burnt documents maybe later on linked to a substantial act of forgery, fraud, ransoms or any other serious offense. Contemporary work has been attempted to study experimentally, certain critical documents such official stamps for the effect of burning on these documents and further how these charred documents can be subjected to the decipherment of any important matter. For this purpose, some official stamps with specific pre-written/pre-printed matter were considered in the study. The sample documents were first analyzed for their various characteristics and security features and then after charring. The charred were then appropriately gathered and were then analyzed under equipment projectina inspec-8 by utilizing diverse light sources (non-destructive sources) for example, UV, IR, and Retro-reflective light viewed under different wavelengths. Outcomes of this work have demonstrated that with the careful examination of the charred documents using appropriate nondestructive and specific light techniques like UV/IR and retro light, the charred matter can be retrieved up to the extent that can be used further criminological investigations. The writings were comparatively more visible under different wavelengths of lights. The results were recorded through proper photographic techniques.

In forensic investigations, disputed documents are usually encountered in various cases of forgery and disguise. The examination of disguised body writing deals with the analysis of documents for handwriting or script having a wilful modification of a person’s original writing for the purpose of concealing his/her identity. The analysis of such cases of disguised writing involves the identification and examination of class and individual handwriting characteristics to establish the identity of the author and to determine the source of the handwriting. The objective of the present work was to study a few cases of master disguised handwriting and to compare them based on particular individual characteristics to establish the identity of the writer. After the proper analysis, it was found that even the cases of master disguise will possess some aspects through which the authenticity of the document and the identity of the writer can be scientifically established.

Theworldtodayisgettingmoreandmorecompetitivedaybyday. Peoplearenowshiftingfrom supermarkets and grocery stores to shopping items online as it is more convenient and can be done everywhere at any time. As a result, the number of e-shopping sites has increased. Online-trade has made lifestyle simple and progressive of people and businesses. The client behavior in online buying is different from the physical marketplace in which he has to get right of entry to see the product. Because of the amazing prominence and fast development of the internet and system innovation, electronic trade has turned into a noteworthy movement in contemporary business activities. Today gigantic business exercises are directed on the web. Individuals go online to sell and purchase numerous items using internet innovation. A survey was conducted using simple random sampling to get the analytical view of business and marketing through e-commerce. The main objective of the paper is to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of current practices of marketers, revealing the underlying motives and factors of online shopping, while ensuring the practicality of these objectives. Chi-square method is used for the statistical analysis and interpretation of test results, showing the importance of online business and marketing.The results indicated that the major challenges faced by respondentswere unclear website policies and the risk associated with credit card transactions. It is recommended that further research can be done to explore the different types of stimuli provided by online shopping medium to boost unplanned shopping behaviours among customers.

In the last few years, media has raised the number of shows based on crime scene investigation on televisions. Due to a drastic increase in the audience, many people assume that they have a full understanding and knowledge base of crime scene investigation. The effect of such shows on the general audience, as well as on the jurisdiction, is considered as the CSI Effect. The consequences of the CSI Effect have impacted the public as well as law enforcement. Media can also be regarded as an investigative tool in crime investigation in the forensic field. The present review focuses on investigating the impact of the CSI effect and addressing fundamental issues through effective media handling in crime and criminal investigations. The development of suitable media strategies, mechanisms for managing media, disclosure, and acquisition of information are also discussed. The proposed strategies will support the general public and law enforcement community to use media handling in major crimes and to approach the proper, unbiased, impartial, and timely forensic investigations.