Uber rape case: DNA reports of cab driver, rape victim matched, says forensic expert

New Delhi: A forensic expert on Wednesday told a Delhi court that samples, lifted from Uber cab in which the driver had allegedly raped a woman last month, had matched with the DNA profiling of the accused and the victim. [caption id=“attachment_2068775” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Uber rape accused cab driver Shiv Kumar Yadav. AFP[/caption] In his submission that gave a shot in the arm to the prosecution in the rape case, Dr BK Mahapatra, senior scientific officer of CBI’s Central Forensic Lab, said “DNA profiling generated from blood recovered from the car, forwarded to our laboratory, was found to be matching with the complainant (victim).” Mahapatra said he had conducted the forensic examination of the samples which included blood, saliva, nail clipping, semen of the accused, vaginal swab of the victim, collected by the doctors during their medical examination. The expert deposed before Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja that he had inspected the Swift Dzire car in which the alleged incident had taken place on the night of 5 December, 2014, and had lifted samples for DNA tests. Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said the expert has supported the prosecution version and the scientific reports, including DNA analysis, have together strengthened the case. During the hearing, the forensic expert also deposed that several samples have not matched with the DNA profiling of 32-year-old driver Shiv Kumar Yadav. The expert’s statement remained inconclusive and his cross-examination by the defence counsel would continue on Thursday. The court also recorded statements of two officials of Uttar Pradesh Police. The court had earlier recorded statements of 23 witnesses including the victim who had identified Yadav as the one who had raped her when she was returning home in west Delhi’s Inderlok. During the day, Constable Puspender Singh of UP Police brought the records Yadav’s previous involvement in several other criminal cases for the offences including rape, molestation, causing grievous and simple hurt, trespass and theft under the IPC and under the provisions of the UP Control of Goondas Act. Sub Inspector Surendra Singh of Police Station Highway, Mathura, deposed that on 6 December, 2014, Delhi Police officials had come to his police station for recovery of the vehicle used in the commission of the crime. He said the car was recovered from Yadav’s house in Mathura and the accused was arrested on 7 December, 2014 near a marriage hall after they had received a secret information about his presence there. During her deposition earlier, the woman had categorically stated that Yadav had sexually assaulted her and had stood firm on her stand during her cross-examination. The court has framed charges against Yadav under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for alleged offences of endangering a woman’s life while raping her, kidnapping with an intent to compel her for marriage, criminally intimidating and causing hurt. PTI