Forensic: The science of solving crime

1. Forensic Science

When someone says 'crime investigation' or 'criminal activity', the first thought that comes to many peoples' minds (not all) is Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie: for readers and True detective, Fargo, CID: for serial watchers. I fall in neither of the two categories. What got me really interested into crime investigation was my academic course work in Forensic Science. 

This subject has a lot of cool and interesting stuff in it. I was amazed to know how things work in a forensic laboratory. Although, I am not sure if the actual work is that interesting or not, but nevertheless, I enjoyed studying for the course. (Thanks to the Professor for that).

From securing the crime scene , collection of evidences, their analysis in the laboratory and finally presenting the evidences in the court testimonial, its a long journey altogether. It seems that physical evidence plays a very crucial role in solving any case. Even if the physical evidence is destroyed, like for example, wiping of blood. But with the help of modern techniques blood traces can be detected even if they are in ppb or ppm range.

Forensics basically makes use of most of the basic principles of individual identity. Like finger print and DNA. These are unique traits of an individual which play an important role in identification and linking a person with another or with the crime scene. These cases are investigated by studying the pattern on one's fingerprint or by matching the sequences in one's DNA. Just like matching the pieces of a jig saw puzzle.

2. Fingerprint analysis

3. STR matching in DNA. STR's are unique sequences in DNA

                                                                                 

Also things like handwriting or a person's voice or the way people pronounce certain words all come under individual traits. You may say that a person may just change his way of writing or manipulate his/her voice, but using modern scientific technology, these minute changes can also be detected by amplifying the signal multifold.

4. Amplification of the audio signal and its conversion to electrical signal

Another important aspect is the ballistics. Interestingly, this is also an individual trait. Even if  2 similar bullets are shot from 2 identical guns with an equal force, yet the marks that are formed on the bullet, once it comes out of the gun will be different in both the cases. These are called striation marks. Other studies include, the projectile of the bullet, the type of the blood stain pattern caused when the bullet hits a person, the angle of impact of blood with the surface and the number of blows given to a person.

5. Analysis of blood stain pattern

6. Firearms: projectile and striation marks

   

Several white collar crimes like manipulation of will, property papers, forgery of signatures on cheques, are solved using forensics. But now a days due to increased popularity of forensics, the nature of crime is also changing. As if the criminals also have come to know about these techniques, due to the advances in the internet technology. Just like, whatever solution one comes up with for killing mosquitoes, they somehow become smarter and still manage to survive. May be that's part of the game: every problem has a solution which in turn is followed by another problem.

But again, instead of just sitting ideally and staring at the problem, it is better to strive for the solution: in the right direction

©Neha Kanase

References

1: Mcm_Mag_Issue5_Forensicscience

2. Image 2: Cambridge assessment English

3. Image 3: Researchgate.net

4. Image 4: Sound on Sound

5. Image 5: PBworks

6. Image 6: Indiamart