Forensic Identification and Differentiation of Different Indian Brands of Gel Pen Inks

Many documents are sent to the laboratory for ink analysis or for the comparison of various types of ink present on the disputed documents. Identification and differentiation of type and source (e.g. Fiber tip pen, gel pen, ball pen, fountain pen etc.) of ink used on disputed document is key priority for the forensic document examiners. Analysis of ink gives an idea about relationship between two documents in case of forgery that involves a disputed document and a standard document for its comparison. It also differentiates writing in case of alteration on the basis of comparison of the composition of their dyes. In this paper we present a simplified guide for the examination of Ink by non-destructive (observation in visible light and infrared) and destructive technique (TLC). This work is also focused to provide the Rf values of various brands of gel pen inks with three different color which may help in future to forensic document experts to compare the ink of a particular period.