Solve your Forensic Handwriting and Fingerprint Problems
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Memorial Events:
Padma Raj Kaphle, M. A. B. L.
Advocate
Handwriting and Fingerprints Expert
Participants of Leadership Institute October 16-20, 2003.
In 1961, when I was an employee of a financial institution, someone forged my signature. I knew it was not mine, but I did not know how to identify the forged signature. This incident gave me a feeling that I should learn the science of identifying handwritings as well as fingerprints.
In 1969, while preparing for my Bachelor of Law examination, I came across a book by an Indian writer, Mr. M. K. Mehata entitled “Identification of Handwriting and Cross Examination of Experts”. I read the book several times but could not understand much on my own. I therefore wrote a letter to Mr. Mehata in Delhi stating my problems in understanding the basic facts and their explanation with respect to disputed and specimen writings.To my greatest surprise, Mr. Mehata responded to my queries and sent me a lot of photographs with markings of the facts, their explanations, and respective pages of his books as reference. After completing my B.L in 1970, I bought some more books on the subject and studied further through correspondences with Mr. Mehata. The more I knew the subject the more I developed my interest.
In mid ’70s, I requested my office to arrange a training programme with the appropriate agency in India. The following year I was offered a Government of India scholarship under the TCS Colombo Plan to undertake a training course on fingerprints at the Central Fingerprints Bureau in Calcutta. During the training period, besides different aspects of fingerprints, I also had an opportunity to learn various areas of handwriting identification and detection of forgeries. After the completion of my training and getting back to Kathmandu, I started practicing at the Supreme Court of Nepal. In those days, only the Police Officials were allowed to examine the disputed documents, and such documents along with expert opinions were kept in sealed envelopes as confidential records.
Neither the lawyers of the concerned parties had access to the confidential records nor the experts were allowed to take photographs of the disputed and specimen writings. The Police experts were also not allowed to be cross examined. Their opinions were unchangeable and final. In such an environment, I requested the Registrar of the Supreme Court for a copy of the expert opinion and permission to photograph the disputed and specimen documents in the Court premises. Though the Registrar was legally authorized to give such permission, he did not dare to break the traditional practice of the Court and therefore forwarded my request to the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice was also not in favor of breaking the traditional practice and he ordered to submit my request to the Full Court, in which all the Judges of the Supreme Court were present. The Full Court, after hearing the arguments, decided to permit me to photograph in the Court and also ordered to make available a copy of the expert’s opinion to the concerned parties of litigation. Those decisions facilitated me to review the expert’s views, and in quite a few cases, I found the opinions of the Police experts totally wrong. I presented the actual facts in the form of enlarged photographs to the Judges of the Supreme Court and requested them to allow me to cross examine the experts. The Supreme Court allowed me to do so and in a number of cases, the opinions of the Police experts were rejected. As a result, the Supreme Court decided not to send any further document to the Police for examination.
In the mean time, I also began to share my experiences on this subject with the Judges of the Courts, Government as well as private Advocates, officers of Banks and financial institutions through lectures, discussions, seminars, and conferences. In addition to that, I conducted several talk programmer for the Bar members in different Courts throughout the country. I also arranged short training programmers for the officers of the Bureau of Intelligence. Furthermore, I published several articles in the legal and Police journals.
I started teaching handwriting and fingerprint identification system to the new recruits of the judicial services since 1981. These days when I see my trainees serving as Supreme Court or Appellate Court Judges, I really get satisfaction on my humble effort. As a result of my effort, they are now doing quite well even without the help of experts in forensic handwriting and fingerprint cases.
I have established an association named as Nepal Forensic Society under my chairmanship in 1953. My desire is to extend such societies to the countries of the world which would strengthen the forensic science and assist our respective Courts to reach the truth.
I wanted to meet my teacher Mr. M. K. Mehata in person whom I had never seen before. I requested for the date and time convenient to him. I reached Delhi Airport on the agreed upon date and made a telephone call from the Airport. Someone from the other end replied that he is no more in this world. He had just passed away a couple of hours ago. I could not believe it, however, I had to accept the truth. Unfortunately, my strong desire to see my respected teacher did not materialize.
This story is dedicated to Mr. Mehata, my respected teacher, in appreciation to his untiring effort to educate me in the field of fingerprints and identification of handwritings.
Work Information * Biographical Information* The Kafle Society* Area of Legal Field*
Personal Interests* Memorial Events* An article about him* Leadership Institute*Contact:
Padma R. Kaphle