Role of Product of Conception and DNA Profiling in Forensic Cases: A Case Study
P. Karolin Kanimozhi
Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka-560029, India.
N. Samyuktha
Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka-560029, India.
Ishika Manuja
Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka-560029, India.
Amit Chauhan *
a Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka-560029, India.
Naresh Kumar
Home Department, Forensic Science Laboratory, GNCT of Delhi, Rohini, Delhi-110085, India.
Dil Nawaj
Home Department, Forensic Science Laboratory, GNCT of Delhi, Rohini, Delhi-110085, India.
Rahul Jain
Home Department, Forensic Science Laboratory, GNCT of Delhi, Rohini, Delhi-110085, India.
Deepa Verma
Home Department, Forensic Science Laboratory, GNCT of Delhi, Rohini, Delhi-110085, India.
Fr Jobi Xavier
Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Christ University, Bangalore, Karnataka-560029, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
At this present time, sexual assault on minors has become a major concern in our country. Social unawareness of victims and perpetrators is an emerging issue in sexual assault cases. It has been observed that most of the cases are being reported in the age group of 17–19 years old. Whenever such cases are reported to law enforcement agencies, the victims are brought to hospitals for the termination of pregnancy. In such cases, the product of conception can play a vital and key role in ascertaining paternity. In this present research work, we considered a case in which three different samples were preserved with different preservatives. The extensive problem was to determine the fleshy perceptible as POC because most segments of this material were from mothers. At the present moment, this study concludes that most of the samples provided were not substantive POC. These are part of the placenta and other fleshy material of the mother. Out of three samples, two gave the autosomal STR profile of the victim instead of POC, while one sample was able to conclude the result based on one set of alleles of autosomal STR (Short Tandem Repeat) matching the father. Two of the last samples gave the same STR Y profile to the father.
Keywords: Sexual assault, victim, preservatives, fleshy material, Y profile etc