Delhi Police said forensic DNA tests have strongly matched four accused to male DNA recovered from swabs collected from a 16-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Swaroop Nagar, outer Delhi. A Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report confirmed the presence of human semen and a mixed male DNA profile corresponding to four men.
Police sent the samples to CFSL in Chandigarh because the victim’s body was highly decomposed, making specialised forensic examination essential. The report found that the Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (Y-STR) profiles of all four accused strongly matched the mixed male DNA profile recovered from the victim.
Y-STR analysis examines genetic markers on the Y chromosome and is useful in sexual assault investigations involving DNA mixtures from multiple male contributors. However, the technique may not distinguish between men from the same paternal lineage. Officials said the four accused in this case were not related.
Delhi Police filed a 365-page chargesheet on October 12, containing statements from 54 witnesses, gait analysis findings and the postmortem report. Four teenagers, including three minors, have been apprehended in connection with the case.
The incident occurred on September 11, and the girl’s body was discovered in a field in Khadda Colony, Swaroop Nagar, on September 13. According to the chargesheet, the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the girl, stabbed her multiple times and abandoned her body after deciding to kill her because she had threatened to report the assault to the police.
Investigators initially struggled to identify the victim because her body was severely mutilated. A breakthrough came when an assistant sub-inspector noticed a tattoo featuring three stars in a row on her left arm. Police then examined missing-person records and collected CCTV footage from the surrounding area.
Investigators traced footage from around 3.30 am on September 11 showing a delivery tempo approaching the location, switching off its headlights for approximately 15 minutes and then leaving. A distinctive design on the vehicle helped police trace its owner and identify the alleged driver, who reportedly disclosed the identities of his associates.
The chargesheet also includes the postmortem report, which police said documented forceful penetration and multiple stab injuries. The allegations against the accused remain subject to judicial proceedings.
