Forensic expert key witness in rape-murder of MBA student: Court

Convicting the accused in the rape and murder of an MBA student, Dr Yashika, Additional Session Judge, Fast Track Special Court, stated that the most important prosecution witness in the case is Dr Sunita, Assistant Director (Biology), CFSL.

Dr Sunita had told the court that she was posted in the CFSL from 2003 to May 2024. On August 6, 2010, the lab received certain samples from the police. Among them was the DNA profile of an unidentified male, recovered from the sample of the victim. It did not match with those of the suspects in the case then. In 2022, she received a sample in another rape and murder case, which matched with the preserved sample of the 2010 case also. Following this, she informed the CFSL Director, who further informed the IG (Crime), Chandigarh. Later, the blood samples of the suspects in the 2022 case were provided to her. The sample of accused Monu matched with the preserved DNA profile of deceased Neha Ahlawat.

Dr Yashika appreciated the efforts of the police party, especially Investigating Officer DSP Harditt Singh and SI Mohan Kashyap, and Dr Sunita, Assistant Director/Scientist, who sincerely performed their duties and contributed to the society at large by collecting evidence against a person, who had remained absconded almost for 14 years after the incident.

The court said the present case was not only based on circumstantial evidence but on scientific evidence too.