Lip forensics for criminal identification

International Conference on Forensic Research & Technology

October 15-17, 2012 DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-Northshore, USA

Pakkirisamy Chandra Sekharan

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Forensic Res

Abstract :

A careful glimpse of the lips instantly tells us the mood of the individual. The lips are the most expressive and the most mobile, or flexible facial feature, but in its normal relaxed state, it can be described quite accurately. Since the tendency is to watch the lips of another when he or she speaks, sight recognition of the lips should have a more lasting impression and the witness will be able to describe the lips better than any other facial feature. Thus the description of lips becomes an important aspect in facial recognition and identification. The microstructure (grooves and wrinkles) contrary to the earlier findings, are not age-sable like finger prints, neither are they ?environmental-stable?. Therefore there may be some working disadvantages when lip prints of criminals are compared after a long lapse of time with the crime prints made earlier. Nevertheless, the macrostructure, namely, the size of the lips, the shape of the oral fissure, upper and lower vermillion borders and protrusion of lips are age stable and environmental stable. Therefore the classification system of macrostructure can be potentially used for the processes of personal appearance identification If witnesses are able to describe correctly the five parameters, searching for suspects could be narrowed down to one in 8640. The author has developed a universally applicable language to obviate the difficulty in using proper terminology by the witnesses and the inability of the investigating police to understand what the witnesses speak. The terminology developed by the author could easily be used by the witnesses and could easily be understood by the investigating police. ?In fact in one of the sensational case investigated by the Q-branch police of the state of Tamil Nadu the system developed in this work has already been successfully put into use in identifying a terrorist-suspect as per the description of the lips given by the witnesses?. ?The Audiovisual unit attached to the Anna University, Chennai with the financial assistance from University Grant Commission, New Delhi produced two TV programmes on Forensic Cheiloscopy to inculcate the awareness of public participation in crime investigation and to stress the importance of sight recognition of lips in terrorists? activities?.

Biography :

Pakkirisamy Chandra Sekharan, a PhD on ?Certain Forensic Aspects of Skull Identification and Individualization? from Madras University published 15 books, 142 research & review papers in reputed journals. Areas of research include Cheiloscopy, Indexing Antique Bronzes and Temple Jewelry. Worked as Medical physicist, Medical College, Madurai; Professor-Director, Forensic Sciences Department, Chennai; Professor, Forensic Sciences, National Law School of India University, Bangalore; Professor-Director, School of Science and Forensic Sciences and Pro-Vice chancellor, National Law University ,Jodhpur. Examined 20,000 Forensic Cases and appeared in courts in more than 1000 cases in India, UK, Malaysia, Colombo and Singapore.