The probe into the rape-murder of a Dalit woman at Perumbavoor took a new turn on Thursday with the police turning to forensic odontology to identify the assailant.
The move is based on the post-mortem examination report about two bite marks on the left shoulder of the victim. The bite marks were unique as it suggested the accused having a gap of more than three millimetres (diastemia) between two teeth on the front row.
One of the bite marks was about 6 cm below the shoulder and the second 12 cm from the root of the neck. In order to verify this, the police have started re-examining the suspects interrogated earlier in connection with the case.
IDA approached
Further, the police have approached the Indian Dental Association (IDA Kerala) seeking information on the ‘diastematous’ bite mark on the victim’s body. They have also requested all dental clinics to document such type of cases and inform them of suspicious cases, if any.
Shibu Rajagopal, the former secretary of IDA Kerala, said the diastemia bite mark would be crucial in identifying the accused. “The gap of three millimetres between two teeth is endemic to the Keralite population, which will be absent among people from other States. The technique of forensic odontology, which is widely followed in many other countries, will be crucial in identifying the assailant,” Dr. Rajagopal said.
Meanwhile, three more persons admitted to seeing a man wearing an yellow shirt outside the victim’s house on the day of the crime.
