DHANGADI, Jan 10: After questions being raised repeatedly on the authenticity of the vaginal swab collected from rape and murder victim Nirmala Panta of Bhimdatta Municipality, police have collected blood sample of her mother Durgadevi Panta for testing.
As most of the evidences have been destroyed, police have been relying on the vaginal swab as the only evidence to find the perpetrator. What made the people question the authenticity of the evidence is the repeated failure of the DNA tests, even of those who had apparently admitted to their involvement in the crime.
Police agreed to take the blood sample of Nirmala’s mother after continuous request from her family and relatives.
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“The family members of the victim had submitted an application requesting to test the authenticity of the vaginal swab,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kuber Kadayat of the District Police Office, Kanchapur, adding, “That is why we have taken the blood sample of the victim’s mother.”
During the second visit of Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal to Kanchapur, Nirmala’s parents had opened up about their doubts regarding the authenticity of the vaginal swab. After submitting an application on Wednesday, Durgadevi had given her blood sample at the Mahakali Zonal Hospital.
As almost all evidences were destroyed in her daughter’s case, Durgadevi says she wants to be clear if this evidence really belongs to her daughter or not. Though the activists had suggested both the parents to give their blood samples, Nirmala’s father refused to do so.
Durgadevi says she had urged police to confirm the authenticity of the vaginal swab while testing the DNA samples of eight police officers earlier.
Police have tested DNA samples of 11 suspects so far. Even after such a long time, police are nowhere close to finding the culprits involved in the rape and subsequent murder of the teenager in late July last year.
