Pertaining to the volatile nature of sweat and presence of latent fingerprints as a chance-evidence on a large number of crime scenes, quick discovery and development of fingerprint is of due importance. As the immediate recovery of the evidence is not possible and due to the dynamic nature of the crime scene, especially in cases of the outdoor crime scene, the recovery of such evidence becomes quite cumbersome. Small Particle Reagent (SPR), by now, is a proven technique for developing fingerprints on wet non-porous surfaces. In the article, the authors compare the two SPR reagents Crystal Violet and Molybdenum di-sulphide for developing fingerprints that have been immersed in water for different time durations. The formulation of Crystal Violet is composed of basic zinc carbonate hydroxide monohydrate (ZnCo3-2Zn(OH)2-H2O)5 and a commercial liquid detergent i.e. Genteel. Genteel has been used for both Crystal Violet and Molybdenum di-sulphide. The ability to develop chance prints on non-porous wet surfaces by these two reagents is put to comparison. The findings will help choose a better reagent that would develop the latent chance-prints of more clarity.

Keywords: Fingerprint; Sweat; Small particle reagent; Genteel; Crime-scene.