Badaun rape: CBI to send vaginal swabs of victims to Hyderabad for DNA analysis
New Delhi: Having failed to exhume the bodies of Badaun rape victims for a fresh autopsy, CBI will be sending their personal belongings and vaginal swabs for DNA analysis at a laboratory in Hyderabad.
CBI sources said the clothes and a few other personal belogings of the victims were collected by the agency from the family members on the suggestion of the three-member panel of the forensic experts accompanying it.
Vaginal swabs collected by local doctors have also been seized by the agency, which will soon be sent to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics in Hyderabad for DNA analysis, the sources said. They said the Centre is likely to give a report within a week to the agency.
The team of CBI and Medical Board had visited the family of the two rape victims as it could not conduct a fresh autopsy because the rising water level of the Ganges river inundated the graves of the two sisters. The sources said the analysis of DNA collected from the personal belongings is expected to provide evidence indicating the rapists. They said swabs can be stored for long and the results may not be affected.
Read: CBI registers case in Badaun double rape and murder
In the technique, the forensic experts first try to differentiate male and female cells in the swab using a variety of chemicals and later from the male cells they identify DNA in sperm cells. By doing the cross-matching with the suspects, the forensic experts can identify the accused.
In the absence of any fresh autopsy, the medical board has to rely on DNA analysis which can be recovered from the personal belongings of the victims.
The alleged rape and murder had come to light on May 28 when the bodies of two cousins, aged 14 and 15 years old, were found hanging from a tree in the village in Ushait area in UP's Badaun district, sparking a nationwide outrage. They had gone missing from their homes on the night of May 27.
Police arrested five suspects who include two policemen but the case was transferred to CBI by the state government under pressure.
On the advice of the three-member forensic panel headed by expert from AIIMS Dr Adarsh Kumar, the agency had sought for a fresh autopsy of the victims by exhuming their bodies. The cousins being minors were buried by their families next to the Ganges river.
The decision to carry out fresh autopsy was taken as the post-mortem report of the local doctor was only suggestive of rape without conclusively proving it.
Highly-placed sources in CBI said the first post-mortem was conducted at night, which is usually against laid down procedures. Post-mortem is not conducted after sunset except in emergency cases.
Yesterday, attempts by CBI to exhume the bodies failed due to the gushing water of the river. Divers of Provinicial Armed Constabulary failed to locate the graves. The sources said CBI and the medical board examined the lady doctor, who had carried out the first autopsy, posing questions related to her observations during the post-mortem.
The panel of doctors had also gone to meet the family members of the victims and to recreate the crime scene.
