44 given to their package. The following essential points should be borne in mind: • It should be ensured that no portion of the article where prints may be found should get into contact with anything else and • The articles should be securely packed in a suitable container.” Clause (iv) was clearly not followed when Nanaiah took the plastic cover along with him and this is an extremely serious lapse. However, we give him the benefit of doubt and assume that it is perhaps with clause (v) in mind that Nanaiah took the plastic cover along with him. 35. While we completely disapprove of the manner in which Ext. P-18 was taken away by Nanaiah (and the investigating officer did nothing about it), the case of the prosecution does not get strengthened even if a valid procedure was followed, since there is nothing on record to show that the “admitted” fingerprints on Ext. P-20 were those of Prakash which could be compared with the fingerprints on Ext. P-18 and the enlarged photograph being Ext. P-19. 36. Assuming that Ext. P-20 was a valid piece of evidence validly obtained, there is no explanation why it was kept by the investigating officer from 14-11-1990 till 9-1-1991 when it was received by Nanaiah. The Karnataka Police Manual highlights the importance of keeping safe an article containing fingerprints. In view of its importance, Nanaiah did not trust anyone with the plastic cover bearing the inscription “Canara Bank” (Ext. P-18) and carefully took it along with him to avoid its getting damaged by getting into contact with anything else. On the other hand, we have the investigating officer keeping Ext. P-20 with him for almost two months and in circumstances that seem unclear. We cannot rule out the possibility of Ext. P-20 getting damaged due to careless handling. 37. We are of the opinion that there is no fingerprint evidence worth it linking Prakash to the murder of Gangamma.”