Questioned documents:

Any object which contains handwritten, typewritten or printed forms whose authenticity is in doubt is referred to as questioned documents. Questioned documents may include letters, cheque, bills, licenses, passports, currency notes, receipts, agreements, tickets etc. Questioned document examination is the scientific examination of documents having suspicious authenticity. It involves handwriting examination in case of handwritten documents, and for typewritten documents analysis of typewriter and printer is done. Questioned document can also be any material that contains marks, symbols or signs intended to communicate a message. Forensic document examination is associated with most of the crimes such as white-collar crimes, homicides, kidnapping, robbery, etc.

How to identify source of documents?

Document examiners use scientific principles for handwriting, paper, ink analysis for examining questioned documents.

The handwriting samples are examined based on 2 main principles:

• no two people can write alike

• no two writings produced by same author will be alike, there will be some natural variations in the handwriting samples.

Certain other principles of document examination are individuality, natural variations, pictorial effect, pen position, tremors, individual characteristics, pen pressure, pen pause, embellishments, pen placing. Even the handwriting of an individual has its own individuality. Natural variations are common in all samples, if there are no natural variations then it can be suspicious. Natural variations affect the pictorial effect, size, and slant. The pictorial effect also to examine handwriting samples. Some handwriting may be artistic, clumsy, nervous, hesitating etc. hesitating handwriting indicates that the person is ill or old. Artistic handwriting suggests that the person is an artist or may have an artistic bent of mind. Pictorial effects are commonly seen in forgeries. The style of handwriting also must be examined carefully, style depends upon initial training but later it may get modified according to individual’s adoption of certain forms. The style may be artistic or simple, round or angular. The line quality also must be seen carefully, line quality may be poor if the writer is weak, illiterate or semi-literate, unfamiliar with the script, writing in defective pen and paper, writing in a moving vehicle. Tremors in handwriting also indicate the person is old, sick, drunk or illiterate.

Determination of handwritten samples:

Individual characteristics of handwriting are important factors to determine the authorship. Pen pressure, pen pause, pen lifts hesitations, embellishments are individual characteristics.

• Some of them write with heavy pressure creating indentations. Slow writers and illiterate persons write with heavy pressure.

• Pen pause is again naturally seen in the writings of illiterate persons. Experienced writers do not ordinarily pause while writing. Pen pauses in forgery is commonly found in the starting stroke, ending stroke, embellishments.

• Pen lifts is also an individual characteristic. Pens are usually lifted to put dot, to put cross in ‘t’ etc. If the writer has habit of lifting pen at certain positions of some letters, then that must be carefully noted.

• Starting and ending strokes shows hesitations in forgery because of tremors. Tremors are commonly seen in forgery because a forger is not sure whether he is able to forge the signature properly or not.

• Embellishments are writing in letters in designs or in artistic manner. Some writers write in designs to improve their handwriting, particularly signatures. Embellishments are commonly seen in the starting or ending of letters and they are peculiar to a writer.

• Even the abbreviations or short forms used while writing are highly individualistic.

• Placing dots, positioning of punctuation marks, crossing strokes for certain letters are highly characteristic of an individual.

The authorship of anonymous letter or document can be identified by studying handwriting, writing materials used, language, examining fingerprints present in the document and also by tracing materials such as stamps or secret marks which may indicate the source of origin. The anonymous letter can also be identified by forensic psychologist, because psychologist can provide a lot of information about qualification of writer, sex, age, mental condition of the writer, occupation of the writer, provocations for writing letter can also to determine to an extent.

Identification of printed or typewritten documents:

Identification of typescript can be done with reference to typewriter. Like fingerprints, firearms, toolmarks no two typewriters can produce identical typescript even if they are manufacture din the same factory. There are certain variations in typescript of the same typewriter typed by same typist occur due to- difference in pressure put while pressing the keys, defective ribbon, difference in typing rhythm. It is also possible to identify the typist by observing punctuation used, arrangement of paragraphs, margins, headings, use of capitals, abbreviations, spelling mistakes, corrections, over writings, shifting of the keys. In today’s generation typewritten documents are rarely used due to development of high technologies typescripts not commonly used these days. Age of typewritten document can be identified by the age of typescript.

Determination of characteristics of ink:

Examination of ink is important task in examination of questioned documents. Ball pens have become popular because of their convenience in writing. Evaluation of ink on questioned documents solves many problems:

• Whether the whole document is written using same pen?

• Are there any additions, deletions, substitutions in the document?

• Age of writing can be established.

Examination of ink is carried out to find out obliterations, erasures, corrections, and to determine the age of writing. Exposure to X-rays, UV rays, IR rays are useful to study variations in inks. Video spectral comparator (VSC) is most popularly used for identification and comparison if inks. Thin layer chromatography is most important and useful technique developed in FSLs to find out the difference between types of inks. Electrophoresis and spectrophotometry are also used to identify the dyes used in manufacturing of ink.

Determination of age is ink is quite difficult task and it can be determined by doing following observations:

• Age of ink can be determined by observing colour change in the ink. Colour of the ink changes by factors like quality of paper, storage, exposure to sunlight, humidity, air etc.

• Smudging of ink is seen in freshly written documents while the old ink takes time to dissolve in water. Therefore, time taken for smudging is important indication of age of ink.

Determination of characteristics of paper:

It is useful to examine characteristics of paper for document examination. The following items must be observed for examination and comparison of paper:

• Dimensions of the paper: length, breadth and thickness

• Colour

• Fluorescence

• Check paper chemically and spectrographically

• Nature of fibre present in paper must be studied chemically, microscopically and by staining techniques.

• Water marks present on paper must be studied through transmitted light and UV rays.

• Opacity and erasures done in paper.

• Check whether paper is ruled or unruled.

• Artificial aging must be checked.

Age of paper gives rough idea about the age of document while the age of writing x=can be estimated by age of ink. The use of particular pen helps in determining age of document in some cases. For example: in India there was no ball pen before 1950, therefore a document written with ball pen is unlikely to have been written prior to 1950. Most of the office change its seals from time to time as they become outdated. Therefore, comparison of seals and stamps gives us idea about age of document which bears seals.

Forgery:

Forgery is an attempt made by a person to defraud another by falsely altering a signature or any part of document. Those who commit forgery are often charged with crime of fraud.

There are several types of forgery like:

• Free hand or simulated forgery

• Traced forgery

Simulated forgery is free hand forgery where forger tries to imitate or copy the handwriting of another person from an available model or documents. Here success of forgery depends on forger’s education, artistic skill, patience and practice. If the victim is illiterate then his writings can be forged easily. Traced forgery is crudest form of tracing. Traced forgery is done with the help of carbon paper, by tracing indentations, by using tracing paper etc.

Even forged signatures are examined using same principles which are used for handwriting samples. But for forged signatures 20-25 exemplars must be taken from the suspect for comparison whereas for handwritings samples such as anonymous letters minimum 3-4 exemplars must be collected. Admitted signatures and writings should be authentic. Some signatures are written by proxy, if such signatures are submitted for examination whole investigation goes wrong.

Burnt documents and secret writings:

These are also a part of forensic document examination. Burnt or charred documents are seen in arson cases commonly. Burnt documents must be first photographed and writings can be identified by proper visual examination. Charred document can also be examined by placing them in photographic film or plate. Exposing charred documents to silver nitrate solution helps to read the charred writings. Secret writing is the art of hidden writing, written by spies, smugglers to communicate among themselves. They use certain codes to communicate and is intended to make a message unreadable by third party. Fruits, vegetable juices are used as invisible ink in secret writing. Secret messages on paper written by fruits or vegetable juices can be seen by heating the paper in low flame.

Indentation, deletion/erasures, additions and alterations:

Erasures are seen in fraudulent documents. Writings can be erased chemically or mechanically. Chemicals like chlorine or bromine water, detergents, alcohol, acetone is used for erasing. Mechanically rubber erasure, razorblade, knife can also be used to erase the documents but this disturbs the surface of paper. Alterations are nothing but overwriting on the existing documents. Documents can also be altered by means of additions. Additions are most commonly done in cheques by adding numerals at the end. Additions can be determined when there is crowding or abnormal spacing in the document. Indentations are impressions captured on the sheets of paper below the one that contains original writing. Examination of indented writings under ordinary light or oblique light reveals indented writings.

Admission of questioned documents as evidence:

According to Section 3 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1972 documentary evidences are admissible in Court of Law. Thus, all the documents are permitted for inspection by Court of Law becomes relevant. As per Section 45 of IEA, handwriting expert can give expert opinion and that opinion becomes relevant if there is any internal or external evidence relating to document in dispute supports the view expressed by expert. As per section 47 of IEA, the handwriting samples become relevant if the opinion is formed by the person who is acquainted with the handwriting.

Conclusion:

Documents play an important role in human life. We daily write and sign number of documents, hence the working of modern society will be adversely affected if we stop writing. The criminal has also realized the importance of documents so thousands of forgeries and frauds are committed with new methods. Falsification of financial documents is most commonly done in companies and businesses to increase their wealth. The documents are falsified commonly by the educated persons who has knowledge about the latest advances in technology and used it to commit fraud. Scientific detection of forgery is possible and also the court accepts the expert opinion as evidence. They can be used as corroboratory evidences in all cases. The task of forensic document examiner is to develop the skills to identify the authorship of writings and signature, and also to distinguish between genuine, imitated and disguised handwriting.

References:

• M.R Hecker, Scientific foundation of Forensic handwriting comparison, 2000

• Netherlands, Nifo: Script as training tool, 1998

• Forensic science in criminal investigation and trails by Dr. B. R Sharma