A report recently released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2019-2020, highlights the importance of fingerprints in solving crimes. The Central Finger Print Bureau (CFPB) in its report mentioned that it was pertinent to note that Fingerprint (FP) experts in Andhra Pradesh have identified culprits in 512 cases by matching developed chance prints, with their database. Chance prints are fingerprints found at the scene of offence.
Kerala has also been prominently mentioned for having identified culprits in 402 cases by matching chance prints that were developed, with the database.
According to the report, in total, Andhra Pradesh has developed 9,418 chance prints and topped the charts in comparison to other states and Union Territories. Kerala and Tamil Nadu followed with 7,687 and 6,436 chance prints developed in total.
With regards to the number of sanctioned staff of FP experts, the report indicates that Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Assam are among the states that are working with fewer experts.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Crime Investigation Department, Andhra Pradesh, PV Sunil Kumar felt that the recognition would help the team work harder towards ending crime.
He said, “Despite working with fewer fingerprint experts as the report suggests, the state standing first in the country in terms of both developing chance fingerprints and identifying and matching chance prints speaks volumes about the competence and efficiency of the AP police force under the leadership of DGP Gautam Sawang and Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. We are committed to the people of AP and will continue to be so.”
"The AP police is always a pioneer in making use of technology to improve the services offered to the public. This is the team work involved right from a constable to the Superintendent of Police in the field," he added.
India has a Central Finger Print Bureau and every state separately has a State Finger Print Bureau which helps in the investigation process by using fingerprint science. The report states that the State Finger Print Bureaus also examined and gave expert opinion and helped in investigation regarding impersonation in 1,896 document cases.
According to the NCRB report, the main responsibility of a Fingerprint (FP) expert is to develop the chance prints left by criminals at the crime scene and to match them with the fingerprints in the database of convicts.
When investigation has to be carried out at a crime scene, an FP expert is called in to closely observe the site. The expert then develops the chance prints left by criminals at the scene. The collected chance fingerprints are then checked with the fingerprints database. This helps in identifying if the crime was carried out by someone who is already in the records of the bureau.
Further, FP experts also receive fingerprint slips of arrested persons. This is verified by comparing fingerprints and checking for any previous criminal history. The FP bureau can also provide expert opinion regarding the handwriting in documents under scrutiny. The FP experts have used their expertise in helping with inputs in investigations of murder, theft, dacoity, robbery, Arms Act and cases under the NDPS Act.
Over the years, fingerprint science has evolved to be an indispensable part of the criminal justice system. Worldwide, scientific peer groups are working together to utilise the science of fingerprints in as many ways as possible.
In the NCRB report, Ram Phal Pawar, the Director of the bureau said, “The bureau is also making efforts to bring in a new Act by repealing the Identification of Prisoners Act of 1920. This will empower police and jail officers to collect advanced biometrics of any arrested person.”
According to the Director, this will help in drastically increasing the database size as one-year rigorous imprisonment is proposed to be removed in the new Act.