Abstract This 85-page volume is the published version of P. Chandra Sekharan's doctoral dissertation submitted in 1989 to the University of Madras, Madras, India. He is the founder and president of the. Forensic Science Society of India and editor-in-chief of the Indian Journal of Forensic Sciences. He is now professor of forensic sciences and director of the Forensic Sciences Department of the government of Tamil Nadu state.