the goan I network
PANAJI
The Goa State Finger Print Bureau has helped in solving four murders, nine housebreaking thefts and in establishing the identity of 12 unidentified dead bodies since it was set up in 2002.
The State Finger Print Bureau presently maintains a systematic record of 39, 504 fingerprints of previously arrested accused.
The experts working at the bureau are routinely called in to lift fingerprints off surfaces at crime scenes or from evidence. These fingerprints are them compared with the available database for identical matches from among suspects.
In this manner, over the last 16 years, the Bureau has helped in cracking four murder cases, nine housebreaking thefts and in identifying 12 unidentified dead bodies, thereby helping the police in depositing the bodies with the respective families.
The State Finger Print Bureau was established at Porvorim in 2002 and is presently functioning from Verna under the control of Director of Forensic Science Laboratory Dr N P Waghmare.
The work of finger printing is carried out under the close supervision of Umakanth Naik, first expert who is the reporting officer of the Bureau.
A recent case of temple theft at Bhutwadi, Pernem was solved by the police with the help of the finger print experts. A chance print was developed by the experts on the fund peti at the temple and during comparison, the print was found to be identical to the finger prints of a former convict, Noor Mohammad.
It was informed that apart from helping solve criminal cases, the Bureau also issues finger print certificates to general public.
This certificate has to be produced before foreign embassies in order to secure employment visas in foreign countries.
