INDIA. Mumbai: The Maharashtra State CID achieved laurels by winning the most prestigious “Sir Aziz-ul-Hak” trophy in the field of fingerprint science at the recent All India Fingerprint Director Conference, conducted by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in New Delhi.
At the conference, the candidates who proved their mettle in the “All India Board Examination for Fingerprint Expert” as well as police personnel involved in the accurate investigation were felicitated.
The evidence submitted by Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sarika Tilekar, attached to the Finger Prints Bureau, CID, Mumbai, was awarded the first prize in the “Smart Use of Fingerprint Science in Investigation” since the evidence submitted by her was proved most crucial in convicting the rape accused.
APIS Tilekar presented the case of Sakinaka police station (Mumbai) (CR. No. 937/2021) under sections 302, 307, 376, 323, 504, and 34 IPC. In this case, the rape victim died in the hospital. A fingerprint expert visited the scene of the crime and developed a chance print which was then found to be identical to the accused. This highly sensitive case proceeded in the fast-track court and important evidence submitted by Tilekar was admitted by the court. The accused was convicted of the death penalty. As such Tilekar was given the first prize in the “Smart Use of Fingerprint Science in Investigation”.
A Mumbai police press release stated that Tilekar was given guidance in an investigation by Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Joint Police Commissioner Suhas Warke, Assistant Police Commissioner Jyotsna Rasam, and others, a Mumbai police press release stated.
Similarly, the Assistant Police Inspector (Fingerprint), Priyanka Sankpal-Jadhav, CID, Pune, was awarded the “Sir Aziz-ul-Hak” trophy in the field of fingerprint science for securing the first rank in the “All India Board Examination for Fingerprint Expert”. She secured 224 out of 250 marks in the test, which included a written and oral examination and an interview. Nearly 76 candidates from across the country appeared in this competitive examination. This rolling trophy came to Maharashtra after 32 years since the state had won it in 1975 and 1990.
The trophy and the prize were awarded to the winners by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra, who inaugurated the conference. Additional Home Secretary Shyamal Mishra, NCRB Director Vivek Gogia, NCRB Joint Director, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) Sanjay Mathur, NCRB Joint Director (Admin) Deepak M. Damor, and Director, Central Fingerprint Bureau Ravindar Kumar were present.
From the Maharashtra State CID, Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, Director Fingerprint Bureau, Pune, Shrirang Tekawade, and Senior Police Inspector (FP) Rohidas Kasar attended the conference.
At the conference, discussion on various topics, including the preparation of SOPs related to the collection of biometric records of criminals, the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), and the training of fingerprint experts to ensure the seamless work of all the fingerprint bureaus of state, took place.
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