Experts raise doubts over handling of crucial proof - Disha's clothes

Almost two months after Disha Salian allegedly killed herself Malvani police on Monday finally handed over the clothes claiming she was wearing on the fateful night to the state Forensic Science Laboratory FSL at Kalina However experts suspect any evidence could be found on the clothes as they were submitted so lateSalian the late actor Sushant Singh Rajputrsquos former manager allegedly jumped off the Regent Galaxy a highrise in Malad on June 8 night The 28yearold was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital but was declared dead before admission midday had in its August 6 report highlighted serious forensic lapses viz no crime scene visited by forensic surgeon no nail clipping preserved no videphoto of autopsy taken nor clothes that she wore for forensic analysis to rule out any foul playClothes given on MondayPolice on Monday afternoon handed over pants and a Tshirt at the Kalina FSL a source at the lab told midday The police also submitted a letter asking to look for any biological evidence on the clothes with a request for early submission of the findingsRegent Galaxy at Jankalyan Nagar in Malad from where she allegedly jumped to her death in June File picShadab KhanThe source said the biology division of the FSL has started the procedure for the forensic examination of the clothes When ready the reports will be submitted to the Malvani police station where the accidental death report has been registered the source addedAlso ReadMumbai Disha Salians alleged last party video goes viralThough Salianrsquos parents have not raised any suspicion about her death police are probing all possible anglesThorough exam neededForensic experts on condition of anonymity said the clothes should be thoroughly examined by FSL scientists for any crucial clues like mud stains paint residue or any other particles that might have got stuck to the cloth at the time of the fall These clues could be crucial to ascertain the crime scene mdash the exact location from where she allegedly jumped and the spot where her body was found However all this depends on the manner in which the cloth was preserved for so many days the sources saidSenior Criminal lawyer Dinesh Tiwari too raised doubts about the availability of any evidentiary residue on the fabric In Salianrsquos case it is very evident that the police didnrsquot follow the basic Standard Operating Procedure SOP which is otherwise done in an accidental death case I do not believe Mumbai police is so naive to not follow the SOP and this raises doubts about the manner the case has been probed so far which is apparently not bonafide intentEvidence may not be thereThe clothes that the deceased wore on the day of the incident should have been sent for forensic analysis soon after recording the details of the clothes in the inquest panchnama I am of the belief that the biological stains and evidence on the clothes if any may not be available now as the clothes were submitted to the FSL after two months said TiwariAlso other crucial forensic evidence should have been preserved including studying the crime scene and doing a dummy test to rule out any foul play Moreover we must understand that in many cases the courts have awarded punishments to the accused purely on the basis of scientific and forensic evidence Tiwari addedAlso ReadDisha Salians body was not found naked says Mumbai PoliceDoubts of tamperingSolicitor Stuti Galiya said In criminal proceedings it is the job of the prosecution and forensic experts to eliminate every possibility of alteration substitution or tampering of evidence It is the job of the concerned investigating officer to collect all important pieces of evidence like hair nails clothes finger prints etc from the spot Such evidence cannot be collected later Any negligence in this regard may nullify the very purpose of forensic analysis and has potential to result in imperfect justice either by exoneration or false conviction of the accusedIn this case there seems to be some serious time lapse on the part of the investigating officer to collect and submit the clothes The defence may raise serious concerns on the genuineness and veracity of the evidence and possibility that the evidence was tampered with cannot be completely ruled out said StutiQuestions on handlingA senior forensic scientist who requested anonymity said Usually the police send the clothes along with the viscera and other samples collected during the autopsy especially in a case where therersquos a need to rule out any sexual abuse of the victim before deathMoreover a delay in submission of crucial forensic evidence like clothes will always raise doubts about the manner in which the sample was kept or preserved reason for delay Also the possibility of evidence tampering cannot be ruled out the former scientist saidDr Shailesh Mohite president of Medico Legal Association of Maharshtra said All these evidences are important and should have been sent in time so that their evidentiary value does not adversely impact on the crucial evidenceChallenging task aheadProfessor Forensic Medicine Dr Rajesh Dhere secretary of Medico Legal Association of Maharashtra shared similar views Scientifically the clothes should have been given for FSL analysis immediately But after 62 days the biological stainsevidence if any on the clothes might have even decomposed Also the blood stains if any would have dried and it might be a bit challenging to extract blood for grouping08Day in June Disha Salian diedKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news