‘Go for latest forensic tech in Sakinaka-type crimes’, say experts

The police must shun the conventional methods of collecting evidence in sexual assault cases and instead embrace advanced forensic techniques like lsquorapid DNA analysisrsquo to facilitate speedy justice delivery experts have said The assertion comes at a time when Mumbai yet to recover from the horrific Sakinaka rapemurder It is also high time the state government enacted the Shakti Act said city lawyersRapid DNA testing could revolutionise rape sexual assault investigations said Amol Deshmukh nodal officerspecial projects for the state government He said the current practice takes a lot of timeldquoSometimes more delays can be traumatic for victims and diminish the odds of anyone getting prosecuted In such cases the most important evidence is DNA to link to offence DNA is the most valuable piece of evidence courts are looking forrdquo said DeshmukhHe said new technology can develop the DNA profile of a potential suspect in three hours or less ldquoItrsquos the need of the hour that the police use rapid DNA tech to push the boundaries of standard law enforcement practice It is relatively simple compared to testing evidence from crime scenes which can include mixtures of DNA left behind by suspectsrdquo explained DeshmukhAlso ReadMumbai CP orders Nirbhaya squad at each police station intensified patrollingHe said the conventional method involves an elaborate process ldquoIt takes 10 hours to three weeks or sometimes even a few months per DNA profiling depending on the backlogs in the laboratoryrdquolsquoCharge sheet in 15 daysrsquoSenior criminal lawyer Advocate Dinesh Tiwari said the chief minister has directed the police to file the charge sheet in the Sakinaka case in 30 days As per the proposed Shakti Act he said the charge sheet has to be filed within 15 days Tiwari said ldquoIn a matter like this where the accused has been arrested and witnesses have been examined the filing of the charge sheet could have been done in less than 15 days It is high time law was enforced in Maharashtrardquo He added ldquoThe enforcement of the Shakti law will also send a strong message to the society that such heinous crimes wonrsquot be tolerated and the matter wonrsquot be allowed to languish in courts for yearsrdquoAdvocate Rajesh Panchal said that the authorities must make the best use of the progress in technology from investigation to trial ldquoThe police while investigating crimes especially against the women should use the newage technology at the initial stage itself because the law does not prohibit the same except forcible narcoanalysis test etc However there are examples when the accused themselves show a willingness to undergo the said test as they claim to be innocent and the test would prove their innocencerdquoHe added ldquoFrom the point of view of the victims also the use of technology would play a major role in justice dispensation The state had proposed amendments called Shakti law in the Criminal Law However it has not proceeded ahead for the reasons unknown The state must also amend the law keeping in mind the advancement in the field of technology if it really wants to do justice to the victimsrdquoAdvocate Swapnil Ambure a criminal lawyer said ldquoThe unfortunate reality is that our investigating agencies are still following ageold techniques For punishing an offender you need a watertight investigation We donrsquot consider a scene of the crime as something which is important and no attempts are made to gather DNA evidence The socalled lsquoprocessrsquo followed by investigating agencies often leads to destruction or loss of valuable evidence resulting in offenders being acquittedrdquo While the Shakti law and latest technologies are important he lamented there is no mechanism to fix accountability if an investigator misses crucial evidence or doesnrsquot take prompt actionExperts speakDr Prakash Kothari from the department of Sexual Medicine KEMHospital amp G S Medical College and also the founder advisor of the World Association for Sexology culprits must be severely punished for such cruel acts ldquoPutting iron rods into private parts is an extremely brutal act of murder and sexual perversion Gang rape with such brutality signifies an extreme level of antisocial personality disorderrdquo he saidPsychotherapist Dr Shivangi Pawar said ldquoThe screams of victim rising in agony are pleasurable and hilarious to a sadist A sadist will lie deceive and commit heinous crimes in order to get this evil pleasure by hurting othersrdquoShe said ldquoMost of the time it becomes difficult to detect a sadist as they take extra efforts to hide their true identity Since they are the masters of abuse they find socially acceptable ways to create an aura and an atmosphere of unmitigated yet diffuse dread and consternationrdquo She said such people devise ways to restrict the autonomy of their dependents ldquono matter how arbitrary and senseless their rulings and decisions arerdquoldquoYoung girls should be made aware of such problematic individuals and take precautions to protect themselves In fact knowledge and awareness of sadism and sexual violence in society as a whole can help to tackle these heinous crimesrsquo she said adding that ldquoa medical system that can detect proclivity for such mindset in people at an early stage should be in placerdquo34 hoursTime to create DNA profiling using the latest technology