THE ROLE OF FORENSIC EXPERTS IN PROVIDING TESTIMONY IN TOOL MARK AND TRACK EVIDENCE IN INDIA
AUTHOR – MAHALAKSHMI V, STUDENT AT TAMIL NADU DR. AMBEDKAR LAW UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE IN LAW
BEST CITATION – MAHALAKSHMI V, THE ROLE OF FORENSIC EXPERTS IN PROVIDING TESTIMONY IN TOOL MARK AND TRACK EVIDENCE IN INDIA, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (14) OF 2025, PG. 314-326, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.
Chapter – I
Introduction and Research Design
1.1. Introduction to Tool Mark and Track Evidence
Tool mark and track evidence belong to the category of physical and trace evidence. Tool marks are typically classified as either impression marks (created when a tool is pressed into a softer surface) or striation marks (created when a tool slides or scrapes across a surface). Track evidence, particularly footwear and tire impressions, similarly captures the unique physical details of the object that created the impression.[1] The underlying scientific justification for their use is rooted in the core tenets of forensic science: Locard’s Exchange Principle and the Principle of Individuality.[2] The expert’s task is to analyse these marks, determine their origin, and link them to a specific known tool or object, thereby providing objective scientific data to aid the court in establishing facts.[3]
[1] R. Menon, Trace Evidence: A Guide for Investigators (Global Press 2015).
[2] Edmond Locard, L’Enquête Criminelle et les Méthodes Scientifiques (Ernest Flammarion 1920) (foundational exchange principle), available at https://criminocorpus.org/fr/ref/113/2555/ (last accessed Nov. 28, 2025).
[3] V. P. Singh, Delays in Forensic Reporting: A Barrier to Timely Justice in India, 8 Nat’l J. Forensic Sci. 45, 45-58 (2019).