Swaroop Nagar gangrape: Two rare DNA tests confirm sexual assault by four people

Forensic DNA findings

Delhi Police conducted two rare tests of forensic DNA profiling to establish the alleged involvement of four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in outer Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar, with a Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report confirming the presence of “human semen” and “a mixed male DNA profile corresponding to four males on swabs collected from the victim”, officers aware of the findings said on Thursday.

Police said that the body of the girl was highly decomposed and these scientific tests were essential to link the victim to the accused.

“They are essential when the DNA is possibly contaminated and when there is a possibility of multiple DNAs. Hence, the exhibits were sent to Central FSL in Chandigarh,” the officer said.

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A police officer aware of the matter said that the report found that the Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) profiles of all the four accused strongly matched the mixed male DNA profile recovered from the victim’s swabs, corroborating the allegations of sexual assault, a police officer said.

“The CFSL report has been received. It confirms the presence of human semen on the victim’s swabs and a mixed DNA profile corresponding to four different males. The Y-STR profiles of all the accused show a strong match with the male DNA recovered from the victim. The findings support the investigation and corroborate the involvement of the accused,” the officer said.

The technique is particularly useful in sexual assault investigations where samples contain a mixture of DNA from a female victim and multiple male contributors.

“It helps investigators identify and compare male DNA profiles, although it may not distinguish between men belonging to the same paternal lineage. The four males in this case were not related,” the official said.

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Gait analysis involves studying a person’s walking or running pattern, usually through video recordings, to assess whether their movements correspond with those captured in surveillance footage. The technique can help investigators examine whether a suspect’s physical movements are consistent with those of a person seen at a crime scene.

The incident took place on September 11, and the girl’s highly decomposed body was found in a field in Khadda Colony, Swaroop Nagar, on September 13. Four teenagers, three of them minors, were apprehended in connection with the case.

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According to the chargesheet, the accused allegedly raped the girl, stabbed her multiple times and dumped her body after deciding to kill her because she had threatened to report the sexual assault to the police.

The investigation initially faced difficulties because the body was severely mutilated, with the skull and rib cage exposed and the right arm severed. Investigators were initially unable to establish the deceased’s gender.

A breakthrough came when an assistant sub-inspector noticed a tattoo of three stars in a row on the victim’s left arm. While one team checked missing-person records, another collected CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

Investigators eventually traced footage from around 3.30am on September 11 showing a delivery tempo approaching the spot, switching off its headlights for around 15 minutes and then moving away. A distinctive design on the vehicle helped police trace it to its owner and identify the alleged driver, who subsequently disclosed the identities of his associates, according to the chargesheet.

The chargesheet also includes the postmortem report, which police said confirmed forceful penetration and multiple stab injuries.