HC pulls up CBI in Priyadarshini Mattoo case

New Delhi, Sep 6 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today pulled up the Additional Solicitor General and CBI counsel after he failed to answer a barrage of questions on DNA testing in the Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder case.

The Division Bench comprising Mr Justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin asked CBI counsel Amarender Sharan that who had the custody of DNA samples between January 25-29 1996, after which they were sent to the Centre for DNA finger-printing and diagnostics (CDFD) in Hyderabad for analysis.

''Moreover, why was only the man's genetic material put to DNA test? Why was the girl's genetic material not put to DNA test,'' the bench asked.

In view of the recommendations of the doctors, who had conducted Mattoo's post-mortem, asking the CBI to send the samples to Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) in Hyderaba, the bench asked, '' Why were the samples sent to CDFD when the doctors had recommended that they be sent to CFSL,'' the bench added.

The Division bench grilled the CBI counsel over the DNA test for more than an hour. Earlier, the trial court had held that the samples might have been tampered with before they were sent to Hyderabad for analysis.

Mr Sharan repeatedly maintained that the samples were sealed. To this, the bench remarked, ''The accused was arrested on January 24.

You could forcibly draw DNA samples from him and put a fresh seal.'' According to the CBI, the DNA test at the Hyderabad-based CDFD had stated that semen samples collected from the clothes of the victim matched with those of the accused.

Similarly, the blood stains collected from the broken pieces of helmet purportedly belonging to Santosh Singh, the prime accused in the case, matched with the blood samples of Priyadarshini.

Twenty-three year old Delhi University law student, Priyadarshini Mattoo, was allegedly raped and murdered by Singh at her South Delhi residence on January 23, 1996.

UNI SSS AK BS1931