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Cops face hurdles and delays in proving victims’ identities
PUNE: A team of DNA experts arrived in Wai on Wednesday to examine the remains of five bodies unearthed at the farmhouse of Santosh Pol in Dhom village.
PUNE: A team of DNA experts arrived in Wai on Wednesday to examine the remains of five bodies unearthed at the farmhouse of Santosh Pol in Dhom village.
The police said identifying the five bodies will take time as it involves complicated DNA testing and because one of the victims has no known blood relatives.
The police have no choice but to use DNA tests as three of the five bodies are highly decomposed and beyond recognition, while the other two are skeletons.
A source privy to the investigation said that three women victims have been identified by the remains of their clothes, but added that this was not sufficient to prove their identities on legal grounds. Remains found near bodies or skeletons are considered circumstantial evidence, which that can be challenged in court, the source said. “We must prove the identities of the victims beyond doubt to strengthen our case in court. We are exploring all scientific methods to establish the identities of the victims,” added the source.
For the DNA tests, the police first need to collect blood samples of the victims’ blood relatives. While investigators have already obtained DNA samples from the victims’ remains, collecting samples from relatives is proving more difficult.
The Wai police have contacted relatives of four of the victims but they are yet to take blood samples from them. This could take some time as they must provide samples voluntarily and cannot be coerced into doing so.
Assistant police inspector Trupti Sonawane told HT that confirming the identity of Salma Shaikh, of one the victims, could be especially difficult. The police have been unable to find a blood relative of Shaikh and a preliminary investigation suggests she may have been an orphan. As of now, the police do not have an alternative plan for Shaikh’s case if DNA tests are not an option.
