Determination of hand from a fingerprint

Presence of a fingerprint at scene of crime is a valuable clue in identifying the suspect. To define the criteria that can be used conclusively to determine the side of hand from the fingerprint, bilateral rolled-fingerprints of 150 South Indians were studied. In the whorl patterns, slope of an apex ridge, rotation of central ridge, angle between core and delta, position of bisector, ridge tracing and ridge counting were studied and their accuracy in determining the side of hand was assessed. In right hand, the apex ridge had sloping towards right, anticlockwise rotation, the right angle of core is greater, position of the bisector is towards left side of core, ridge tracing is outer or meeting, the ridge count from delta to core is more on left side. Whereas in left hand, the apex ridge had sloping towards left, clockwise rotation, the left angle of core is greater, position of the bisector is towards right side of core, ridge tracing is inner, the ridge count is more on right side. The findings of our study are useful for the investigator to come to conclusion on the hand from which the particular fingerprint is originated.