Form 21 (Viscera)
Definition
Standard Indian forwarding form for viscera and biological samples sent to the FSL toxicology division, listing exhibits, preservatives, FIR number, autopsy surgeon and seal impressions.
- Purpose
- Forwarding form for viscera and biological samples
- Destination
- FSL toxicology division
- Jurisdiction
- India
- Contents
- Exhibit list, preservatives used, FIR number, autopsy surgeon and seal impressions
Common questions
Why does Form 21 record which preservative was used?+
The preservative, such as saturated saline or sodium fluoride, affects which toxicological tests remain valid on the sample, so the toxicology lab needs this recorded to select appropriate analytical methods and interpret results correctly.
What happens if the seal impressions on Form 21 do not match the sample containers?+
A mismatch between the recorded seal impression and the seal on the actual exhibit raises a chain-of-custody question that can be challenged in court, since it suggests the samples may have been tampered with or substituted after collection.
Related terms
- Chain of Custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Class Characteristics
- Features deliberately or systematically imparted to a group of items by design or manufacture, such as the calibre of a bullet, the...
- Conditional Evidence
- Evidence whose meaning comes from the state or condition of a scene at the time of the crime, not from the physical...
- Control Sample
- A water sample collected from the suspected drowning environment at or shortly after the time of body recovery. Its diatom assemblage is...
- Individual Characteristics
- Surface features on a fired bullet or cartridge case that arise from random or unique events (tool wear, corrosion, service damage) and...
- Locard's Exchange Principle
- The foundational idea that every contact between two surfaces moves material in both directions, giving the forensic process its starting premise: physical...
- Pattern Evidence
- Two-dimensional or three-dimensional patterns: bloodstain spatter, glass fracture, tool marks, tyre marks, fire burn patterns, gunshot residue distribution.
- Physical Evidence
- Any tangible item or material that can help establish or disprove a fact relevant to a case. Distinguished from testimonial evidence by...
- Tamper-Evident Seal
- A physical barrier (tape, sticker, wax) applied to packaging that shows visible damage if the package has been opened after sealing. Courts...
- Transfer Evidence
- Material exchanged between people, objects and locations: hair, fibres, paint, glass fragments, soil, biological fluids. Direct application of Locard.
- Transient Evidence
- Evidence that changes or disappears over time regardless of investigator action: body temperature, odour, melting substances, or fleeting biological changes. Must be...