Hyderabad: The NIA could nail terror suspects in several major terror attacks across the country using scientific evidence gathered from things like toothbrushes, combs, clothes, food leftover, blood on razor blades and wastes in the toilets used by suspects.
This was made possible by the city-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting which DNA fingerprinted the samples collected from terror hideouts and the scenes of offences to prove the presence of the suspects at the place of the blasts.
According to NIA charge sheets filed in various courts and the annual reports of CDFD, the agency was involved in a dozen terror cases like the Dilshuknagar blast, Bodh Gaya serial blasts, Puducherry blast and the attack on the BSF convoy in Kashmir from where scientists isolated saliva, hair strands, sweat, excretory matter, skin cells and blood samples of the terrorists.
In the attacks on Army camps in Pathankhot and Kashmir, samples are being brought to CDFD.
The CDFD headed by Dr N. Madhusudhan Reddy is extracting DNA from the samples.
In a charge sheet filed in Nampally court against Riyaz Bhatkal and others of Indian Mujahideen regarding the bomb blast at Dilshuknagar in February 2013, the NIA could prove the presence of the suspects at Abdullapurmet in the city and Mangalore.
NIA said the articles seized from the shelter at ‘Zephyr Heights’ in Mangalore and the articles recovered from the shelter at Abdullapurmet were sent to CDFD for extraction of DNA fingerprints and analysis.
The CDFD, after comparison with the DNA of IM operatives Asadullah Akhtar and DNA of the father of Tahseen Akhtar said the DNA matched with the DNA extracted from some of the personal belongings found in 'Zephyr Heights'.This established the presence of Tahseen Akhtar in that place.
In addition, the DNA extracted from the articles seized from the shelter in Abdullapurpet matched the DNA of Asadullah Akhtar. The CDFD said, "The parent (father) and child (son) relationship exists between the sources of hairs collected from the floor, shaver, hair trimmer and shoes with the blood sample of the father of the accused."
After the arrest of Tahseen Akhtar his blood sample was sent to CDFD. After analysis, the CDFD said the DNA extracted from the exhibits were from the same individual.
