Bollywood actor Sridevi's signature forged: truth lab

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The city-based Truth Labs has helped Bollywood star Sridevi and her producer husband Boney Kapoor in solving their case. They have approached Hyderabad private forensic lab in alleged cheque forgery case. The forensics lab has proved that their signatures on Rs 10 crore cheque were forged and did not belong to the film personalities.Sridevi was dragged to the court by a financier who alleged that her Rs 10-crore cheque had bounced on being presented in a bank. She had then filed a counter-complaint with the Juhu police alleging that her signatures were forged.The cheques were sent to the Truth Labs for verification. Mr K.P.C. Gandhi of Truth Labs said, “A famous Bollywood actor, who has acted in nearly 150 films, had reported her cheque book stolen. Several cheques were forged causing a loss to the tune of more than Rs 10 crore.”“These cheques were issued to film production companies. The cheques were brought from Mumbai by a representative of the actor. We gave the report in two days and the money was recovered after identifying the forger,” Mr Gandhi said.Talking of another case, Mr Gandhi said that a Bengaluru-based flying institute had forged the signature of the Karnataka governor to gain favours. That forgery was detected within a week.

Footprint clue in Ayesha murder

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, March 9: A foot print with a deformed toe has become a vital clue for police in the hunt for the killer of B.Pharm student Ayesha Meera.
The young woman was raped and murdered in a hostel in Vijayawada in December 2007.
Sleuths who studied the photographs of the crime scene have found out that one footprint showed a deformity in the third toe.
Police sources said that there were doubts that it belonged to one of the suspects, Laddu alias Gurvinder Singh, but the investi gating officials are not ready to jump into conclusions.
The crime scene was photographed from different angles after the murder.
AP Forensic Science Laboratory experts and Crime Investigation Department sleuths came upon the deformed toe while observing the minute details of the photographs.
Initially, cops didn't pay much attention to it. But now they are feeling the heat and don't want to leave any clue unturned.
"There was a pencil lying just beside the footprint," said a CID official. "It was magnified in various angles. There was huge gap between the toes."
However, other experts warned that the examination of the footprint was not scientific.
"We can't be 100 per cent sure that it hints at a deformity," said another CID official. "There are no ridge marks such as loops and whirls."
The APFSL physics division team headed by Mr Narayana Rao will be taking the footprint of Laddu when he is brought to Hyderabad for a lie detection test
A foot- print with a deformed toe has become a vital clue for police in the hunt for the killer of B.Pharm student Ayesha Meera. The young woman was raped and murdered in a hostel in Vijayawada in December 2007. Sleuths who studied the pho- tographs of the crime scene have found out that one footprint showed a deformity in the third toe. Police sources said that there were doubts that it belonged to one of the suspects, Laddu alias Gurvinder Singh, but the investi- gating officials are not ready to jump into conclusions. The crime scene was pho- tographed from different angles after the murder. AP Forensic Science Laborato- ry experts and Crime Investiga- tion Department sleuths came upon the deformed toe while observing the minute details of the photographs. Initially, cops didn't pay much attention to it. But now they are feeling the heat and don't want to leave any clue unturned. "There was a pencil lying just beside the footprint," said a CID official. "It was magnified in var- ious angles. There was huge gap between the toes." However, other experts warned that the examination of the foot- print was not scientific. "We can't be 100 per cent sure that it hints at a deformity," said another CID official. "There are no ridge marks such as loops and whirls." The APFSL physics division team headed by Mr Narayana Rao will be taking the footprint of Laddu when he is brought to Hyderabad for a lie detection test

Forensic tangle in VIP murder case

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb 20 2008

Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department is in a fix over whether to charge a murder case against K. Venkat Rao, son of former PCC chief and Indian Parliamentarian K Keshava Rao, because of the conflict of opinion among forensic experts.
B. Prashanth Reddy, 35, a real estate partner of Venkat Rao, died of bullet injuries in the latter's house on September 9, 2007. Following this, the CID arrested Venkat on charges of murder.
Police accused him of killing Prashanth over a real estate dispute. The realtor died of a bullet wound on the right temple.
However, forensic experts have different opinions on the issue.
While some of them support the murder theory others think that the realtor committed suicide. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the CID has to depend upon forensic evidence.
While Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of the Osmania General Hospital Forensic Department, opined that it was murder, the senior forensic doctor, Dr M. Ravinder Reddy, said it was suicide. This has complicated matters further.
"I am of the opinion that the firearm injury in the case is consistent with self infliction and the APFSL report on gun residue on the hand of the deceased Prashanth Reddy confirmed self infliction," said Dr Ravinder Reddy in his report.
However, Dr Narayana Reddy said that the type of injury could not be selfinflicted by a right-handed person. "It is more in favour of being fired by another person," he said in his report.
The Crime Investigation Depart- ment is in a fix over whether to charge a murder case against K. Venkat Rao, son of former PCC chief K. Keshava Rao, because of the conflict of opinion among forensic experts. B. Prashanth Reddy, 35, a real estate partner of Venkat Rao, died of bullet injuries in the latter's house on September 9, 2007. Follow- ing this, the CID arrested Venkat on charges of mur- der. Police accused him of killing Prashanth over a real estate dispute. The realtor died of a bullet wound on the right temple. However, forensic experts have different opinions on the issue. While some of them sup- port the murder theory oth- ers think that the realtor committed suicide. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the CID has to depend upon forensic evi- dence. While Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of the Osmania General Hospital Forensic Department, opined that it was murder, the senior forensic doctor, Dr M. Ravinder Reddy, said it was suicide. This has complicat- ed matters further. "I am of the opinion that the firearm injury in the case is consistent with self infliction and the APFSL report on gun residue on the hand of the deceased Prashanth Reddy confirmed self infliction," said Dr Ravinder Reddy in his report. However, Dr Narayana Reddy said that the type of injury could not be self- inflicted by a right-handed person. "It is more in favour of being fired by another person," he said in his report.
Prashanth Reddy was shot in the right temple. Prashant's family claimed that Venkat had a dispute with him over the ownership of a piece of land and repayment of some amount. In the expert opinion given by Dr Narayana Reddy he pointed out "The range of firing is three inches to 24 inches. This type of injury in a right handed person is very rare because the hand must be in a stressful position at the time of firing. The injury is more in favour of being fired by another person,"
Contradicting this Dr Ravinder Reddy stated ,"On the range of fire which is too wide is not based on any investigation, no muzzle to garment test was performed to determine the probable range of fire. Doctor cannot say on the frame of the mind of deceased. The hand is in a stressful position is not a post-mortem examination finding. There is no reasoning in the previous opinion to rule out self infliction,"
In the his report Dr Narayana Reddy said that the victim was standing in the corner of the room and head came into contact with the walls at the time of firing and opined that distortion of the bullet was due to pressing of bullet to wall.
Setting aside this Dr Ravinder Reddy said it can not be reconstructed from the medical evidence to show that deceased was standing in the corner of the room at the time of shooting and the bullet deformed as it passed through bones and it cannot be said that it pressed against the wall.
Striking aside the Dr Narayana Reddy's finding that the swelling of the eyelids was caused due to fall on sofa the latest expert opinion by Dr Ravinder said it may be due to early stages of decomposition.
In the initial opinion favouring the murder angle Dr Narayana Reddy opined that it is possible to find the traces of gunpowder on the right hand of the deceased when the victim tried to ward off the attach by catching the hand of the shooter. Dr Narayana Reddy attributed the absence of struggle marks to a surprise attack.
Setting aside these findings Dr Ravinder Reddy said ,"The autopsy doctor said it was a surprise attack that's why there are no struggle marks and other hand he says the deceased tried to ward of the attack resulted in the presence of GSR. There two are differing opinions of the same expert,"
The latest report by Dr Ravinder Reddy said that the wound is typical of self inflicting shot.