ICON
Dr. Rukmani Krishnamurthy, Chairperson & CEO of Helik Advisory Ltd., Mumbai, is India’s first eminent female forensic scientist. Entering the field in 1974, she overcame substantial opposition in an era when few recognized the importance of forensics. Her career has spanned a rise to global recognition in forensic science.
In a landmark case, Dr. Krishnamurthy played a pivotal role in investigating the tragic Matunga train fire on February 13, 1976, which claimed 24 lives. Detecting traces of kerosene and remnants of a plastic container among the burnt debris, she deduced that the fire likely ignited from a kerosene container brought aboard by a passenger, possibly due to a lit cigarette. To confirm her theory, she conducted a pilot experiment, leading to a ban on carrying flammable substances like kerosene and petrol on public transport.
As Director of the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories, Government of Maharashtra, from 2002 to 2008, Dr. Krishnamurthy established six state-of-the-art forensic laboratories across Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, and Amravati. She introduced advanced forensic techniques, including DNA analysis, cyber forensics, speaker identification, tape authentication, lie detection, narco-analysis, and brain signature profiling, to combat high-tech crime.
Her achievements include publishing 110 research papers, receiving 12 national and international awards (including Best Forensic Director and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Government of India), and contributing expertise to high-profile crime investigations, such as the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts and the Telgi stamp scam. Dr. Krishnamurthy was also invited by Interpol for discussions in Lyon, France.
Dr. Krishnamurthy’s contributions extend to academia, where she served as a Technical Advisor to the Institute of Forensic Science in Maharashtra, establishing three institutes in Mumbai, Aurangabad, and Nagpur from 2009 to 2011. She has authored two books on forensic science, published numerous articles, and organized national conferences to inspire students, forensic scientists, and legal professionals.
In 2011, Dr. Krishnamurthy founded Helik Advisory Ltd., India’s first private forensic laboratory to receive ISO certification, offering services comparable to the FBI in the USA. The Gujarat Forensic Science University has recognized Helik Advisory as a Research Centre, and Dr. Krishnamurthy is committed to making forensics accessible to the public, focusing on preventive, social, industrial, and rural forensic services. With plans to expand internationally, Helik Advisory serves clients such as the Income Tax Department, High Court of Mumbai, SEBI, GST, and numerous banks and insurance companies, providing reliable forensic reports with precise time frames.
Dr. Krishnamurthy is an Academic Council Member at the National Forensic Science University, Government of India, and guides Ph.D. students in forensic science. She also regularly consults with senior judges on forensic matters in critical cases, furthering the field’s development for students and professionals alike.
Her journey, marked by a commitment to bring forensic science closer to the community, exemplifies her vision for the field’s growth and relevance.
What is the Job all about?
Forensic Science is an important tool in Crime Investigations.
It has two broad branches –
a. Specialisation in Medicine and
b. Specialization in Chemical, Physical Sciences, etc.
www.all-about-forensic-science.com
Forensics applies scientific methods to solving crimes, drawing upon various branches of science such as Physical, Chemical, Medical, and Biological Sciences. It is inherently multidisciplinary. Forensic Science addresses issues related to explosives, narcotics, toxicology, ballistics, lie detection, DNA, fingerprinting, cyber/computer crimes, document examination, and more. www.csfs.ca.
In Medicine – Doctors can specialize in Forensic Medicine after completing their MBBS. In other branches, some pursue a Graduation or Post-Graduation Diploma or Degree in Forensic Science.
Specialization in Chemical and Physical Sciences: A Ballistics Analyst, for example, investigates the type of gun used in a crime. Cartridge casings, bullet imprints, and the range from which a shot was fired all leave unique marks. These imprints help determine details like where the gun was purchased and by whom.
Cybercrime is another significant area today. In a cyber forensics program, students learn how to capture digital evidence and track digital trails across PCs, mobile devices, pen drives, and more. They learn techniques to recover evidence from encrypted files, deleted files, emails, chats, and more, as well as how to detect fraud in banking, tax returns, stock trading, and credit card transactions.
Tracing evidence from subtle clues—such as hair, fingerprints, footprints, fibers, paint, glass, and soil—can be crucial in identifying offenders. Instruments like microscopes and spectrometers are used to analyze these clues and aid in capturing criminals.
Today, it’s challenging to keep up with criminals’ methods of evading detection, whether through forgery, violence, drug trafficking, terrorism, or cybercrime. Governments worldwide invest billions in research laboratories to improve crime detection. Although it may seem that criminals are always one step ahead, forensic experts are crucial to closing this gap. With advancements in technology, we continue to improve our capacity to apprehend offenders.
Can you go for it?
In both the medical and non-medical fields, beyond a foundational qualification, you must have a strong investigative and curious mind, along with a genuine desire to assist investigators in bringing criminals to justice.
Is there a future in this field?
For individuals with a strong investigative nature and proven credentials, the field offers tremendous scope.
Medicine
Every MBBS student receives basic training in Forensic Medicine to enable them to determine the cause of death in cases of unnatural death, as required by law under the Criminal Procedure Code. Without this knowledge, they could face legal issues. At the MD level, there are specific specialty programs:
1. Forensic Pathology: Focuses on determining the time and cause of death. Post-mortem procedures cover all aspects of the investigation leading to death, including embalming, disposal of bodies, identification of unclaimed bodies, viscera examination, and DNA analysis. Students are trained to prioritize time sensitivity, as evidence lost at this stage is often lost permanently.
2. Clinical Forensic Medicine: Teaches students to collect trace evidence from crime victims and suspects who may have sustained injuries during alleged criminal acts. This includes evidence from blood, nails, hair, clothing, semen, vaginal swabs, tissue cultures, and gastric lavage, along with documentation methods for court presentation.
3. Toxicology: Covers the classification and effects of various drugs and poisons, including their symptoms and toxicity levels, and their impact on bodily functions. The curriculum also includes the management of both acute and chronic poisoning cases.
4. Odontology: Forensic dentists play a crucial role in identifying victims of major catastrophes, such as natural disasters, plane crashes, and terrorist attacks. Another important area is bite mark analysis, often used in violent crimes like assault, rape, and homicide. Forensic dentists also collect salivary evidence for DNA profiling and analyze dental injuries resulting from physical neglect in children, adults, and the elderly.
5. Forensic Psychiatry: A subspecialty of psychiatry that intersects with criminology and the legal system, it involves psychological assessments of individuals involved in legal cases. Forensic psychologists require strong clinical skills, including assessment, interviewing, report writing, verbal communication (especially when serving as an expert witness), and case presentation. They perform tasks such as threat assessments in schools, child custody evaluations, competency evaluations, counseling crime victims, and delivering intervention programs for offenders.
Non-Medical Areas:
In our country, there are four Central Government Forensic Laboratories, as well as the National Laboratory in Delhi, and many state governments have established their own forensic laboratories (http://dfs.nic.in/).
• The Forensic Chemical Sciences field includes Chemistry, Narcotic Drugs, Explosives, Toxicology, and Pharmacology, with a focus in Hyderabad.
• The Forensic Physical Sciences field includes research in Physics, Ballistics, Image Processing, Speech Recognition, Lie Detection, and Instrumentation, based in Chandigarh.
• The Forensic Biological Sciences field covers Biology, Serology, DNA, Fingerprinting, Osteology, Odontology, and Anthropology, based in Calcutta.
• The Forensic Documentation Sciences field includes Ink Analysis, Paper/Fiber Analysis, Computer/Cyber Forensics, Handwriting Identification, and Credit Card Fraud investigations, based in Hyderabad.
• For those interested in Law, consider the Asian School of Cyber Law in Pune.
Forensics also spans the following non-medical areas:
1. Anthropologist: Assists in the identification of skeletal remains, especially in disasters, helping determine the age, sex, ancestry, stature, and unique features of the deceased.
2. Chemist: Detects and identifies illicit drugs, accelerants in arson cases, explosives, gunshot residues, and trace evidence such as paint, polymers, and fibers.
3. Engineer: Works on traffic accident analysis, fire investigations, and wrongful injury cases, often handling failure analysis, such as brake failures in motor accidents, accident reconstruction, origin and cause investigations for fires or explosions, and quality assessment in construction or manufacturing.
4. Linguist: Analyzes written or spoken communication to identify the speaker, assess intent, and determine whether two pieces of communication are from the same person.
5. Photographer: Documents every angle of the crime scene in detail, providing clear, specific visuals that help investigators analyze factors like distance, perspective, and capability.
6. Artist or Sculptor: Creates sketches or likenesses of suspects based on eyewitness accounts. Modern computer animation techniques are then used to match the artist’s rendition with real individuals.
Where to Begin?
In Goa
• Goa Medical College offers a 3-year MD Program in Forensic Science after completing an MBBS.
• National Forensic University, Ponda, Goa: https://goa.nfsu.ac.in/ — Offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Forensic Science.
Outside Goa
• Gujarat is a primary center for forensic science studies, with postgraduate programs offered at Gujarat Forensic Science University – https://www.nfsu.ac.in/
• Institute of Forensic Science, Mumbai – https://www.ifsm.ac.in/ and Aurangabad – https://gifsa.ac.in/ are affiliated with Mumbai University and offer the following programs:
• B.Sc. in Forensic Science – 3 years (10+2 Science required).
• PG Diploma in Forensic Science & Related Law – 1 year (Degree in Science required).
• PG Diploma in Digital & Cyber Forensic & Related Law – 1 year (Degree in IT, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, B.Sc. with Maths & Stats, BCA, or BE in IT/telecommunications/electronics required).
Other Colleges:
• St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai – Diploma in Forensics (Part-Time) – 10+2 in Science required.
• Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi – Diploma in Forensic Engineering.
• Dr. Ambedkar University, Agra – M.Sc. in Forensic Science.
• Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology & Forensic Science, New Delhi – M.Sc. course.
• Department of Criminology, Karnataka University, Dharwad.
Employment Avenues:
Both Central and State Government Forensic Laboratories offer employment, though openings are limited. Many private companies and agencies also employ forensic investigators, particularly for document verification and security, where they review digital documents and signatures to confirm authenticity.
Salaries:
Forensic scientists can find opportunities in government-run laboratories, law firms, corporate offices, security agencies, defense labs, and drug laboratories. Government jobs follow standardized salary scales, with starting salaries for forensic scientists holding a postgraduate degree ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 40,000 per month. Private sector organizations often offer higher salaries.
Don’t settle for just a degree or diploma — enhance your CV by completing online learning programs with certification in areas relevant to your chosen career. This will significantly improve your employment prospects compared to holding only a basic qualification. Additionally, consider boosting your confidence by enrolling in public speaking courses, such as those offered by Toastmasters International.
For government job opportunities, please check: www.employment-newspaper.com
page updated: October 2024