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Forensic science technologies help unveil the truth when justice needs to be served. It is used to investigate and analyse the offences done by the criminal, such as abduction, rape, murder, etc. 

In India, fundamental rights and democracy are intertwined, and the deployment of forensic science presents a concerning paradox. Scientific evidence becomes stronger through forensic technologies, which perform DNA testing alongside conducting narco-analysis tests and polygraph tests. These improvements in technologies of forensic science aid crime investigation but still create substantial debates about legal rights and constitutional protections.

The Need for Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations 

Taking a quick peek into history, India has struggled to address essential issues in crime investigation procedures. Shifts in policing methods towards modern times have made forensic science an indispensable tool because of obsolete investigation methods combined with staffed-over law enforcement and an increasing number of unsolved cases. Traditional investigation methods have become inadequate for criminal investigations because modern criminals use advanced methods to hide their activities. The rapid progress of urban areas coupled with technological advancements leads law enforcement to require science-based evidence-gathering practices, which strengthens their ability to prosecute offenders when evidence is needed. 

 Forensic science is the bridge between scientific evidence and accuracy, providing insights into offensive activities done by criminals. Fringerprint analysis, ballistic examination, DNA profiling, and digital forensics have collectively contributed to crime detection in India. However, the implications of forensic techniques on a person’s freedom and fundamental rights need to be examined.

Essential forensic technologies and their corresponding legal implications

1. DNA Profiling: Criminal investigations experienced a revolution through DNA evidence by delivering accurate results to identify perpetrators. This scientific technology has successfully solved a wide range of investigations, including sexual attacks and death investigations. DNA evidence receives legal recognition through the Bharatiya Sakshiya Adhiniyam, 2023 together with Supreme Court precedents which support its validity but require systematic control of its collection plus storage processes. Orders for DNA profiling require both legal authorization and proper consent to guarantee its legitimate execution.
2. Narco-Analysis: Drugs used during Narco-analysis procedures reduce a subject’s inhibitions so they disclose previously hidden information. The use of this forensic technique remains under debate as a legal matter, although law enforcement used it during high-profile investigations. In the case of famous Selvi v. the Supreme Court of India declared through the State of Karnataka (2010) ruling that forced narco-analysis practices violate Article 20(3) of the Indian Constitution because it undermines the rights of people to resist self-incrimination. When properly authorized and supervised by the judiciary, the technique maintains its value for investigations.
3. Polygraph Tests: Law enforcement officials use polygraph tests to measure the physiological signals of people to assess truthful statements. Courts throughout judicial authorities have consistently decided polygraph testing results cannot serve as single evidence because their measurement reliability remains poor. Under the law, the forced use of these tests violates constitutional rights, which demand strict regulations during their application.

The Balance Between Justice And Fundamental Rights

The use of forensic science technologies in criminal investigations brings better results, but it is crucial to ensure that the boundaries are maintained. Lawbreaking legal principles occur when authorities perform compulsory forensic tests like polygraphs and narco-analysis without consent. The plus point is that the Supreme Court has continuously validated the protection of self-incrimination rights and privacy rights, thereby establishing essential judicial measures for forensic method use.

The Indian legal framework has evolved to regulate the application of forensics after the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, passed a provision that establishes ethical standards for forensic work. The regulations function as a tool which maintains a suitable equilibrium between crime investigation through scientific methods and safeguarding the independence of people.

Conclusion

Forensic science is a need of the modern era and the coming future. With crime rates increasing day after day, it is crucial for modern law enforcement to offer evidence that serves justice, making forensic science technology indispensable. The right management of forensic science is vital to preserving constitutional rights during operations. The legal system of India transforms its practices alongside forensic technologies progress while upholding basic rights of individuals. A balanced strategy between scientific innovation and ethical and legal security mechanisms will allow forensic science to achieve both justice delivery and protection of fundamental rights. Thus, balancing forensic technologies with fundamental rights in India is necessary. 

Firearm examination is a very specialised field that encompasses the analysis of weapons, ammunition, and evidence related to these to establish their application in crime. The tasks of firearm examiners cut across a wide range of cases from serious crimes like murder and manslaughter to robberies with guns, illegal possession, and firearms trading.

Some of the important points of firearm examination may be:

Identifying and categorizing firearms, modified, imitation, and antique weapons.

Determining whether the weapon is legally a firearm under UK law.

Determination of whether a firearm has been fired and correlating it with ballistic evidence.

Analyzing cartridge cases and bullets to detect one-of-a-kind tool marks that point uniquely to the specific firearm employed.

Analyzing 3D-printed parts and their effectiveness.

Forensic Access professionals have analyzed thousands of firearm-related cases, aiding criminal investigations and testifying as experts in court.

Knowledge of Firearm types and operations

One of the key elements of firearm analysis is knowledge of the various types of weapons and how they work. While all firearms have the same general function—propelling a projectile toward a target—there are many designs and mechanisms that affect how they work.

Some of the principal types of guns that are often found in forensic examinations include:

1. Handguns

Semi-automatic handguns: Discharge one shot for each pull of the trigger and automatically reload from a magazine.

Revolvers: Employ a revolving cylinder for storing ammunition; each chamber indexes with the barrel upon firing.

2. Rifles

Bolt-action rifles: Need a manual operation of the bolt in order to chamber the next shot.

Lever-action rifles: Employ a lever system to chamber cartridges.

Semi-automatic rifles: Discharge one round per trigger pull and reload with gas or recoil-operated cycling systems.

3. Shotguns

Pump-action shotguns: Need manual cycling of the fore-end to chamber a new shell.

Semi-automatic shotguns: Reload automatically with gas or recoil-operated systems.

Sawn-off shotguns: Altered to have a reduced barrel for concealment, usually making them illegal under UK law.

Knowledge of these types of firearms assists forensic scientists in establishing how a weapon was employed in a crime, if it has been altered, and if it qualifies as a prohibited firearm under legal definitions.

A 13-year-old tribal girl, Lalithya, was discovered mysteriously dead in an Ashram school in Adilabad. In spite of the assertion of epileptic fits by the school, her parents are accusing negligence and asking for a forensic inquiry. They demanded a forensic investigation to find out whether any foul play had taken place. The accident has created an uproar among the local tribal population, who are calling for an open investigation and monetary compensation for the loss. A forensic autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death.

Lalithya, was discovered dead under suspicious conditions at an Ashram school in Ichoda mandal, Adilabad. While the school authorities state that she died of epileptic seizures, her parents suspect negligence and are calling for a forensic probe.

Lalithya, a IX standard student hailing from Morkandi village in Bazarhathnoor mandal, was found dead in her hostel room on Monday. According to school staff members, she died due to a fatal epileptic attack. But the family members are seriously questioning the conditions under which she passed away.

When they arrived at the school, her parents accosted the administration, challenging the absence of medical care. They blamed the headmaster for negligence and demanded he take action against the perpetrators. Refusing to acknowledge that the reason for death is as yet unknown, they have requested a forensic test to ascertain whether any foul play was committed.

The incident has set off anger among the indigenous tribal community, with activists calling for an open inquiry. People are asking whether the school ensured proper medical attention and followed student safety guidelines in a timely manner.

The authorities have promised to conduct a forensic autopsy to determine the precise reason behind the death. In the meantime, the parents have claimed financial compensation for their loss and blamed the school.

Additional information is expected once forensic specialists examine the case.

They are some of the most heartbreaking situations in Australia — the missing persons, the enigmatic skeletons, the human remains languishing in shipping containers and storage facilities in the farthest reaches of the nation.

Who are they and where did they come from?

It's a query that bothers DNA expert Jodie Ward, who has opened Australia's first stand-alone forensics laboratory in an effort to discover.

"There are Australian families who are obsessed with the fact that there are hundreds of unidentified human remains here in Australia … is their missing loved one on that list?" Dr Ward says.

"With the technologies available for forensic science, I don't believe we can leave any case as cold anymore, and we need to be throwing everything at them to attempt to get some answers.

"Our aim is to provide specialist forensic testing methodologies for identification, some of which are not yet available here in Australia, and make the playing field equal regarding who can access it," she says.

The laboratory, set up as a social enterprise model, will provide the police with an alternative for forensic testing outsourcing, to accelerate investigations.

It will also offer private investigators and families a channel through which to access evidence, beyond police investigations.

Martin Hodgson, a human rights campaigner, states the establishment of an independent forensics service was overdue.

"It's not solely criminal investigations — many people don't appreciate the number of First Nations people who were relocated to missions or killed, and their remains are in boxes in police stations or universities or buried in the wrong location," Mr Hodgson states.

"To have an independent agency that can assist us with verifying the identity of individuals could really be a game changer."

Hundreds of skeletons under investigation

The amount of sets of unidentified human remains in Australia is hard to estimate, as they are associated with a broad variety of situations.

Some are the remains of individuals who were killed in wars and natural catastrophes, and others are Indigenous Australians whose skeletons were stolen and sold by collectors.

Few are allocated to police to investigate, typically because they have been recently discovered or there are suspicious conditions.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has confirmed there are about 700 sets of remains currently under investigation by police forces across the country.

In 2020, the first concerted effort was made to harness new forensic technology to systematically test and catalogue the backlog of bones.

Jodie Ward collaborated with the AFP to develop the National DNA Program for Missing and Unidentified Persons, and it was able to test 99 of the unidentified remains forensically.

That matched 19 with long-term missing persons, closing cases for families who had endured years of not knowing.

But the program funding ran out in 2024 and Dr Ward is now collaborating with the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at Adelaide University to develop an independent forensics unit.

It puts Australia on par with nations such as the USA, where investigators of every description can order forensic work to help advance legal cases, clarify historical burial grounds, and restrict the identity of mystery remains

Within the complex crime scene investigation world, forensic medicine experts are the unsung heroes. These specialists, including anthropologists, ballistic technicians, entomologists, odontologists, and osteologists, rarely set foot at the crime scenes themselves. They labor diligently in their laboratories, analyzing evidence forwarded to them.

After these experts have finished analyzing, they make up their conclusions into a forensic expert analytical report. Although the presentation of such reports differs with the specialty of the forensic expert, there are essential parts that are included by everyone. Such parts include the chain of evidence, evidence evaluation methods, evidence evaluation results, and discussion (with a conclusion) of what is indicated by the evidence.

Emerging Field: Forensic Dermatology

Forensic dermatology, a new and promising field in forensic medicine, is developing with dermatologists drawing on their own skill of skin, mucosa, hair, and nail evaluation to now offer it for application in crime investigations. The number of such practitioners is expected to increase with more people being made aware of its potential benefits.

A typical model hypothetical forensic dermatology expert analysis report looks no different from that of any other forensic expert's report with four main parts:

1. Chain of Evidence: A chronological record which distinguishes the protected care and control of the evidence and its transmission to another person.
2. Methods: This in-depth section outlines the examination of the evidence and forms the majority of the analytical report.
3. Results: In this section, information gathered after assessing the evidence is reported in clear terms such that not only other investigators but also other members of the legal community, like judges, lawyers, and jury members, will understand it.
4. Discussion: This section contains the opinion of the dermatologist, encapsulating the findings of the investigation and placing the analysis of evidence in perspective. It may also contain a conclusion part, which must be written in clear terms.

Depending on the particular details of the case, the outline of the forensic dermatology expert analytical report may be adjusted by the preparing dermatologist.

In summary, a great forensic dermatology expert report is worth gold. It serves other investigators and members of the legal system, including attorneys, judges, and juries, who are also part of the case. In addition, once the forensic dermatology expert testifies in court as an expert witness, the report becomes an asset to the dermatologist.

As forensic dermatology evolves further, it will be an integral part of the continuously changing realm of forensic medicine, adding more precision and sophistication to crime investigations.

The Guwahati branch of the Indian Science Congress Association celebrated National Science Day with a session on forensic science. The program was organized to raise awareness regarding the application of forensic science in crime investigation and justice delivery.

Experts from the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) took part in the session, which was on the use of forensic science to crack crimes. The new methods and technologies employed in forensic science were also covered.

The event was also attended by students from schools and colleges, who also engaged in other activities like science exhibitions, quizzes, and lectures.

National Science Day is commemorated every year on February 28 to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian physicist C.V. Raman. The day is observed to foster scientific awareness and encourage young minds to join the field of science and technology.

To motivate the young generation to learn science, the National Science Centre, Guwahati, hosted a series of programmes on National Science Day on Friday at the Science Museum and Centre in Khanapara. The conference had a session on an important topic — "The Role of Forensic Science in the Delivery of the Criminal Justice System". Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Guwahati, assistant director (documents) Naulak Lian Paite was hopeful about the conference and stated that it is very helpful for students. The session described the branches of forensic science and its different aspects.

The entire day-long program consisted of a scientific demonstration of 3D projections, scattering of lights and marvels of colours, art competition and quiz competition on eminent Indian scientists. An animated 3D movie, 'Turtle Vision', was released and presented to the students without any charge. With dynamic and state-of-the-art projection technology, the 11-minute 30-second movie offered a spine-tingling experience, making the audience believe that they are swimming amidst coral reefs and plunging into the freezing polar ocean.