WILLIAMNAGAR, July 15: Nearly one year after an intensive investigation, East Garo Hills district police have cracked a murder case using the DNA evidence of the accused.
An FIR was lodged with the Williamnagar Women Police Station on July 18 last year, alleging that a woman was hacked to death with a machete by one James R Sangma at Samgong village earlier that day.
The woman’s death had triggered outrage, with various civil society organisations taking out rallies demanding justice for her.
After the incident, the accused went into hiding, and he could not be traced by the police despite sustained efforts.
On July 29 the same year, the police recovered the accused’s highly decomposed body from Dawa Matchakolgre village falling under the Williamnagar Police Station. His family members identified the body by his clothes.
“During a search and examination of the body, a mobile phone and a rosary were recovered from the pocket of the deceased’s trousers, which were subsequently identified by the family members as belonging to him,” East Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Swapnil Pawar said.
To scientifically ascertain the identity of the deceased, biological samples collected during post-mortem examination, along with blood samples of siblings, were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for DNA profiling and expert opinion.
The CFSL reported that the biological samples exhibited a biological relationship with the siblings of the deceased, and the scientific findings, read in conjunction with the oral, documentary and other corroborative evidence collected during the course of investigation, established that the deceased was the accused, James R Sangma.
Upon completion of the investigation, the Final Form in connection with Williamnagar Women Police Station case under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was submitted before the competent court in accordance with law.
“The investigation has been conducted in a fair, impartial, professional and scientific manner, and all available legal, scientific and investigative measures have been undertaken to ensure that the truth is brought before the court and justice is pursued strictly in accordance with law,” the SP said.
As the matter is now sub-judice, the police appealed to the public to refrain from speculation or dissemination of misinformation.
