Forensic report may not help

NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The jigsaw puzzle is nearly laid out: statements of all who knew, met or saw Zee TV staffers Rajiv Rajah and Monika Ma...

NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The jigsaw puzzle is nearly laid out: statements of all who knew, met or saw Zee TV staffers Rajiv Rajah and Monika Malik, clues and post-mortem reports about their mysterious deaths are available. There is one crucial piece missing, the forensic laboratory reports but even that may not be enough to put it all together.

While investigators say the CFSL reports will suggest the solution and perhaps vindicate their stand that it quot;was after all an open-and-shut casequot;, several senior police officers are sceptical.

Says one such officer, associated with some important cases in the past: quot;The people who have messed up the case most from the beginning are my own colleagues. They overlooked the basic principles in an investigation and went ahead gathering only circumstantial evidence.quot;

He points out that in the past two days investigators have kept themselves busy cross-examining the Rajah family.

quot;They are only verifying their statements and ascertaining the authenticity of speculations inthe media. But the real investigation has otherwise reached a dead end.quot;

The much-awaited CFSL reports, he says, will probably lead to more confusion. First, if the semen stains collected from Monika8217;s body and clothes do not match with Rajiv8217;s blood group, the presence of a third person will be confirmed.

quot;If the samples, on the other hand, match, it will never be clear if Rajiv made love to her. The third person could also have the same blood group as that of Rajiv8217;s,quot; the officer says. quot;The DNA fingerprinting, when carried out, will lead to similar questions.quot;

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The viscera reports will only confirm the exact composition of the chemical which Rajiv is suspected to have ingested and which proved fatal. But reports will reveal nothing about the time when he died.

quot;Only the post-mortem report can indicate the approximate time of death, But it depends on the judgment of the examining doctor and he can go wrong by up to two hours either way,quot; says another senior police officer.

Much of the confusioncould have been avoided if the post-mortems of the duo were done at the same hospital by the same doctor. The experts8217; opinion would not have been divided. It also would have quickened investigations.

Says the officer: quot;All the evidence and material available at the spot should have been made case property immediately. The car, Rajiv8217;s shirt, the bottle of feni, Rajiv8217;s cellphone and other belongings 8212; all could have revealed more.quot;

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He doubts whether the current investigation, which is heavily dependent on the CFSL reports, will lead to any conclusion. quot;It is possible that the case will be declared close because it is almost impossible to secure a conviction based on circumstantial evidence.quot;