Evidentiary value of Forensic Fingerprints in India

“Forensic Fingerprints” has become an increasingly important tool in the aid of legal systems around the world. It has contributed to meeting the ends of justice and making justice a little more just. This is especially true in the realm of criminal justice system. It has helped various investigative authorities and the courts alike in their endeavour to find the real culprit behind a crime scene. Forensic scientists across the world have been compelled to explore Forensic Fingerprints because, even the most astute and shrewd criminals, in many cases, leave their fingerprints, in crime scenes, which have been termed as “chance fingerprints”. In addition to this, “Forensic Fingerprints” has also gained the much deserved attention, for its accuracy and in the context of criminal justice system, for the heavy reliance placed on it by the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused. This mandates the exploration of how such an important piece of events is perceived by the Courts. To this end this paper aims to explore this important area of Forensic Evidence, i.e., “Forensic Fingerprints” vis-a-vis how it is perceived by the Courts in India i.e. their evidentiary value in the Courts in India