Forensic Medicine · Forensic Identification (Skeletal Age, Fingerprints, Race, Sex, Stature)

As per the standard followed in Indian courts for fingerprint comparison based on ridge characteristics, the minimum number of matching Galton details required to establish identity is:

  • A 8 points
  • B 10 points
  • C 12 points
  • D 16 points
Correct answer: D. 16 points

Explanation

Indian practice retains the numerical standard of 16 matching ridge characteristics (Galton details) between the latent and the specimen print for a positive opinion of identity. The United Kingdom historically used a 12 point standard, and some other jurisdictions use 8 or 10 points, while the IAI in the United States abandoned any fixed numeric threshold in favour of holistic expert judgement. For Indian postgraduate examinations, the accepted answer is 16 points.

Reference: Parikh's Textbook of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, 7th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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