Niha Ansari

By Pooja Ahuja and Niha Ansari

In the field of forensic science, autopsy that is postmortem examination involves a thorough corpse examination done in order to determine the cause and manner of the death by invasive method. With the advancement of technology a new term: “Virtopsy” meaning virtual autopsy employs the application of imaging techniques namely computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven its advantages in the forensic field. It involves the scanning of dead bodies in a non-invasive manner. It a great alternative to the traditional autopsy as it provides wide-range and systemic examination of the whole body in a less time duration, benefits in diagnosis as well as renders respect to religious sentiments. Method is more specific, sensitive, & precise and accurately reflect soft tissue injuries, organ damage, wound extent, fractures which provides instinctive and powerful court evidence for forensic identification. The chapter will be describing the importance of “Virtopsy” in the field of forensic science and its future scope in forensic crime investigations.

Part of the book: Autopsy

By Niha Ansari

Criminal activities have their footprints from time immemorial and nature of crime has drastically changed over a period of time. There is neither a geographical boundary, nor technical limitations. Moreover terrorist’s activities, drug trafficking eco-crimes, high-profile crimes, robbery hit and run cases, building collapse, petroleum products adulteration are some of latest forms of crimes. In last 20 years, scanning probe microscopes have emerged as an essential technique in various fields, and atomic force microscope (AFM) is most commonly used scanning probe technique which has shown its wide range of application in examination of various evidences encountered on crime scene. Major advantages of AFM involve its high resolution in three dimensions, and sample is not necessary to be conductive and it does not need to be operated within a vacuum. It helps in studying a large range of topographies and many types of materials can be imaged under it. Evidences such as blood, fibers, hair, soil, finger prints, gunshot residue, pollen, etc. found on crime scene at nano- or micro-level can be examined under AFM. The chapter describes applications of AFM with respect to its application in examination of evidences that can help in bringing justice.

Part of the book: Electron Microscopy

By Niha Ansari, Jeet Dasgupta, Shweta Umre and Priya Rajput

Trace evidence analysis is essential in criminal investigations as it provides vital information for establishing connections between suspects and scenes. Minute or complicated trace evidence is sometimes difficult for traditional microscopic techniques to handle. At micro- and nanoscale, electron microscopy (EM) shows great promise as a potent technique for characterization and visualization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) offer valuable insights into morphology, chemical composition, and crystalline structure of trace evidence, enabling the identification and differentiation of similar materials. TEM allows high-resolution examination of paint components, dirt particles, gunshot residues (GSR), fibers, hair structures, glass shards, nano-particles, explosive materials, etc. In forensic investigations, SEM is a crucial instrument, especially when it comes to GSR analysis, which uses SEM to correlate bullets to firearms more successfully than visual approaches. Additionally, SEM plays a major role in the examination of gemstones and jewelry by identifying manufactured and natural gems, analyzing surface imperfections, and determining elemental compositions. SEM also improves forensic inspection in non-conductive material analysis, paint and fiber analysis, filament bulb investigations, handwriting analysis, and counterfeit detection. The adoption of EM in forensic trace evidence analysis has potential to revolutionize the field, offering valuable insights that were previously unattainable.

Part of the book: Electron Microscopes, Spectroscopy and Their Applications