Rape evidence may elude CBI

The daunting process of piecing together human remains to decide how many people died in Nithari will be over in a few days. But proving that the victims were raped is going to be almost impossible, investigators and forensic experts told

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"Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences are expected to complete the process of segregation and individualisation over the next two to three days. We will then be able to frame a report," said Dr KPC Gandhi, director of the Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad.

Dr J Gauri Shankar, director, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad said, "Evidence of sexual assault by DNA profiling requires proof of aginal penetration that can be done by taking a vaginal swab of the victim — which is impossible in the Nithari case." The vaginal swab can be taken only until three days after death.

But Dr Gandhi added: "We are hopeful that we will be able to recover DNA samples of the accused from the victims’ clothes recovered from the backyard of the house."

The CBI is mindful of the challenges. A senior official said, "The focus of the team is to find forensic evidence from the clothes of the victims."

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