DNA fingerprinting taken for crime suspects or convicts is only of a “certain negligible part” looking for more variations to prove the uniqueness of the person concerned and will not give out any background, identity or religion, clarified Director of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) K. Thangaraj on Thursday.
A different set of markers are used to trace the human origin and evaluation with the entire DNA or genome when the background of the person is known, he explained, in an effort to differentiate between using the technology for solving crimes and genetic study for population studies, during a webinar on ‘DNA Fingerprinting Technology – its success and future’ organised by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).
Mr. Thangaraj, also Chief Scientist of the CSIR-CCMB, said the technology is to be used only for suspects and convicts with a specific timeline with the profile to be destroyed if proved innocent as per the proposed Bill. While England’s Dr Alec Jeffery is the father of the DNA fingerprinting technology, he traced its development here due to research efforts by CDFD founder-director Lalji Singh.
Dr. Singh was studying the evolution of sex determination through chromosomes of poisonous snakes following which individual specific banding pattern was identified. This technology over the last 25 years has helped to solve many complex crimes like establishing the identity of killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Suicide bomber Dhanu and mastermind Sivarasan were identified after taking DNA from the respective parents from Sri Lanka and compared with the DNA obtained from the dead bodies. Incidentally, the ex-PM inaugurated the CCMB from where CDFD originated.
While there are privacy and individual freedom issues, it is possible to ensure innocents are not convicted if the DNA technology is accepted by the legal fraternity and also ensure 100% conviction rate, observed professor of the National Law University G.K. Goswami. In United States alone about 20 people on the death row have been saved as DNA evidence helped, he said and explained close to 60 countries have got the legislations, yet none has come up with an iron clad one.
Currently, DNA fingerprinting is being done for those accused of sexual offences and those involved in other crimes can seek the court’s permission to prove their innocence. Proessor in NALSAR University of Law K.V.K. Santhy said a legal framework for exoneration has been lacking for the innocent and spoke of the fears of DNA profiling in data collection and maintenance. CSIR-CCMB Director N. Vinay also spoke while Dr. Shika moderated the discussion.
