Assessment of Variations in Pollen Profiles of Soil and Cloth Samples from two different Regions of Delhi and their Comparison with Reference Data of Bundelkhand Region Srivastava Ankit1, Sharma Kaushal2, Mittal Atul Kumar3, Dev Kapil4,* 1Director, Centre For Studies & Research in Forensic Sciences, The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata 2Scientific Officer, Forensic Science Laboratory, Uttar Pradesh, Moradabad 3Former Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow 4Deputy Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Uttar Pradesh, Moradabad *Corresponding Author : Dr. Kapil Dev, Deputy Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Uttar Pradesh, Moradabad, Email: kapdevfsl@gmail.com, Contact: 91-7017906504
Online Published on 28 July, 2023. Abstract Introduction Pollen grains can be a good crime scene marker in various types of forensic investigations. Despite various possible sources, soil and cloth are frequently encountered samples as pollen sources in forensic cases. Aims and objective This work aims to examine the variations in pollen profiles isolated from different soil and cloth samples that were collected from two different vegetation areas of Delhi. A secondary objective of this study is to identify different pollen grains according to their Pollen aperture and Pollen polarity and database preparation of two different geographical sites in the Bundelkhand region i.e., Jhansi and Orai. Materials and Methods Samples were collected from two different geographical sites of Delhi (North-west Delhi, East Delhi) and Bundelkhand (Jhansi, Orai) regions in India. The soil samples were collected from the earth to one-inch depth in clean polythene bags, properly marked, and sealed. The cloth samples (size 12cm X 12cm) were simulated as crime scene samples at the same distance (localized areas) in both the areas. Isolation of pollen species from the soil samples was performed using the established approaches in the domain. Results A careful examination of pollen species and their percentage of occurrence in the samples collected from the Delhi region shows their distinct profiles in different areas, signifying their importance as a forensic tracer. Different methods of isolating pollen grains from cloth samples are also compared and a modified method is suggested for further forensic use. A pollen database of commonly present pollen species was prepared from the Bundelkhand region, Uttar Pradesh, India. Conclusion Differences in pollen profiles of different regions under investigation can be used as important evidence by the investigating agencies. The present study is the first pollen profiling study for database purposes in the Bundelkhand region of India. Top Keywords Forensic Palynology, Pollen Database, Cloth and Soil Samples, Bundelkhand Region, Pollen Aperture, Pollen Polarity. Top |