FORENSIC INVESTIGATION OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES
AUTHOR- ADITYA PRATAP SINGH, STUDENT AT AMITY LAW SCHOOL NOIDA, AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH
BEST CITATION – ADITYA PRATAP SINGH, FORENSIC INVESTIGATION OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (8) OF 2025, PG. 159-193, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
1.INTRODUCTION
Criminal offences are actions committed against the state, threatening public safety and welfare. In India, these offences are governed by laws such as the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Evidence Act. These laws outline which acts are considered crimes because they harm society, and they also lay down the punishments for those offences.
“The Criminal Procedure Code specifically defines the penalties for various criminal acts and clearly states which behaviors are prohibited by the government for the safety and well-being of the public”.
Forensic science plays an important role in the criminal justice system by applying principles from natural and physical sciences — like ballistics, DNA analysis, hair examination, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) — to help solve crimes.
A few key figures shaped the foundation of forensic science. Mathieu Orfila, often regarded as the father of modern toxicology, developed methods in early 19th-century Paris for detecting poisons through chemical analysis — some of which are still in use today. Francis Galton, a British scientist, was the first to conduct a systematic study of fingerprints, creating a method to classify them for identification purposes. [1]In 1892, he published Fingerprints, a groundbreaking book that provided scientific proof of the uniqueness of fingerprints as a reliable form of personal identification.
In the 19th century, natural sciences advanced rapidly, but at the same time, the justice system struggled with unreliable evidence, tampered proof, and coerced testimonies. Criminals often took advantage of these weaknesses to avoid punishment. It was this gap that led to the emergence of forensic science, offering a much-needed, reliable way to gather and present evidence in court.
Interestingly, the idea of using science in crime-solving was popularised by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who showcased how forensic techniques could help uncover the truth. This inspired real-life investigators to realise that physical and natural sciences could be valuable tools in criminal investigations. Many of the most significant early breakthroughs in forensic science came from Europe, though countless contributors worldwide played important roles in shaping the field.
[1] Houck, M. M. and Siegel, J. A., (2015). Fundamentals of forensic science (3rd ed.). Academic Press.