Unlearn forensic science myths shown in TV crime series

Nagpur: A dummy body hanging from the neck, suspected murder weapons lying around, and fingerprints left behind by culprits are among several pure science exhibits in the Hall of Pride dome at the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) here.
Retrieving fingerprints from a crime scene, differentiating between suicide and murder, identifying fake currency notes, passports, and proper investigation methods are among the lessons visitors, mostly school and college students, are getting at the stall of city’s Government Institute of Forensic Science (IFS).
Further, enthralling them, a description is played on a computer and visitors are asked to imagine the facial features. Next comes the sketch done by MSC graduate Pooja Pardeshi. The sketch matches the actual photograph of the culprit.
“Watermark and security threads are the mostly commonly known features of currency notes. However, these are being replicated by forgers. Micro-lettering, position of certain imagery etc are other features to be noted,” says Ashish Badiye, head of forensic science department at IFS.
Other misinformation shown in crime series include role of forensic science experts and types of materials. “Every time, they show a doctor doing lab work as well as going to the crime scene. Any chemical is shown pink and every poison is blue on TV. Most chemical are also shown giving off fumes or smoke in their labs. This is usually not the case. There are poisons which are white, colourless, may occur in solid, liquid or gel form,” says Badiye.
Many visitors who come with such notions, return enriched, knowing the reality.
“Will this show my fingerprints as they show in TV show CID,” asked Shreya Kotangale as Badiye demonstrated her a different chemical process – iodine fuming. Kotangle said she was impressed with the information though so far she thought that only some powder is used to detect latent fingerprints.
The IFS team includes assistant professors Neeti Kapoor and Hansi Bansal, and students Rasika Kakad and Pradnya Sulke. The team is led by IFS director Ramdas Atram.