Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Chain of Custody (Forensic Integrity)
Evidentiary Rules & Proof Standards
Definition
The documented, unbroken chronological record establishing who collected, handled, transferred, analyzed, and secured physical or biological forensic evidence (blood samples, viscera, firearms) from the crime scene to the laboratory and courtroom.
Example
In State of Rajasthan v. Daulat Ram, the Supreme Court acquitted an accused in an NDPS trial because the prosecution failed to prove the chain of custody of opium samples, leaving a two-week unexplained gap where sample tampering could not be ruled out.