Introduction

Graphology or the handwriting analysis is the field of identifying and understanding the behaviour, personality and characteristics of an individual by analysing the handwriting of a person. As we all know that handwriting analysis is a complex and a very time consuming process. The graphology as a science is not new to the world it is being in used from the past 400 years. Camillo Baldi is considered as the father of graphology by giving the systematic observation of handwriting in the year 1622. The term “graphology” was coined by Abb Jean-Hippolyte Michon in Paris in 1897 by the combination of two Greek words ‘graphein’ which means ‘to write’ and logos which means ‘science’ (Deshpande, 2016).

Handwriting is such a unique feature of an individual, it doesn’t matter that the person with the use of hand, foot or mouth the handwriting will same as well as the unique one. Handwriting is not handwriting it is basically the brain writing as with the response from the brain the person is able to write. A unique pattern is produced by the brain which is as similar with every individual that reveal the personality trait. Handwriting alone can be able to reveal various elements of an individual behaviour or its personality. It is also able to give the brief knowledge about person’s intellect, his emotions, fears, aptitude level, skill, their motivation and integrity. (Kedar et al, 2015).

The graphological studies relate with two basic approaches i.e. graphical analysis of the structural type of writing and analysis of the type of symbol or letter. The forgery in any other person’s handwriting can be analysed and identified by proper examination of the characteristics like pen pressure, spacing, formation of letters etc. (Dang and Kumar, 2014).

Graphology and handwriting analysis can be classified as the subset of the study of psychology. Graphology is useful in understanding personality traits through the strokes and patterns revealed by individual's handwriting which itself signifies the traits such as emotional and mental instability. Hence these traits are important to be known and can be helpful in dealing with the cases of profiling of any serial killer or any criminal and suspect so as to narrow down the search of an investigation.

The goal of graphology is simply to determine the personality characteristics of a person with the help of the handwriting which reveals the expressive behaviour and its individual style of response (McNeal, 1967).

The graphological studies plays a very important role in the forensic science for dealing with the cases related with psychiatric activity of any criminal or the cases related with any suicide notes, anonymous letter etc. Graphology in forensic is the study of handwriting especially that found in ransom notes, poison pen letters or blackmail demands.The identification of a criminal on the basis of its personality which are also helpful in finding the modus operandi of any serial killer or an insane criminals.