Police seek DNA profiling of SMBBMU male staff

More than three weeks after samples collected from the bodies of Dr Nosheen Kazmi and Dr Namrita Chandani showed particular male's DNA, Larkana police has decided to conduct DNA profiling of the staff members of the medical university.

The two women allegedly committed suicide in their hostel rooms in separate incidents. Larkana SSP Sarfaraz Nawaz Shaikh wrote to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) to provide samples of all the male staff who had access to the girls hostel.

A recommendation in this regard was made by the Forensic and Molecular Biology Laboratory for DNA Testing of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, last month. The lab was sent samples of both Kazmi and Chandani who were found dead with their bodies lying to the ceiling fan in the hostel rooms of the same varsity. Their deaths, however, occurred over two years apart on November 24, 2021, and September 16, 2019, respectively. The SMBBMU earlier opposed the requirement and discredited the lab's report as an attempt intended to malign the university. They had also questioned jurisdiction of the lab to test samples of two different cases and to seek samples of a university's staff. However, the Sindh government sent SMBBMU's vice chancellor Prof Dr Anila Attaur Rehman on leave and replaced her with an acting VC.

The university spokesman said that they have received the correspondence in question and that the required samples, including of the non-staff persons who had access to the hostel, will be provided. Prior to the samples a list of all such persons would be shared with the police.

"The male DNA profile has been obtained from semen stains/sperm fractions identified on two vaginal swab samples of the deceased Dr Nosheen, shares 50% alleles with the male DNA profile obtained from semen stains/ sperm fractions identified on HVS samples and cloth of deceased Dr Namrita," read the report.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2022.