Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: As bodies of six victims killed in the deadly AI 171 crash were handed over to their relatives in Ahmedabad on Friday, one of India’s foremost molecular biologists and former director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Dr Rakesh Mishra said, remaining bodies will be handed over after ascertaining their identity following DNA profiling, which is totally accurate.
“DNA fingerprinting is absolutely accurate and there should not be any doubt about it. From any biological material-be it tissue, blood, saliva, or even a hair follicle, we can extract DNA,” said Dr Mishra who is presently the Director of the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bengaluru in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat.
The process of identity verification involves isolating DNA and analysing specific regions of the genome known as short tandem repeats (STRs).
“These regions vary significantly among individuals, making each person’s DNA profile unique. We can determine whether two samples come from the same individual or different individuals, and even establish familial relationships," Dr Mishra said.
“The process needs a person who is genetically related with the victim. We can’t tell the name of the person but we can find out the genomic connection from the body. If two bodies are available, the process can find out whether they are related or not," Dr Mishra said.
Referring to the Air India flight crash, Dr Mishra said that most of the bodies are charred beyond recognition. “However, DNA profiling can ascertain the identity of the victims and their connection with the others,” he said.
According to Dr Mishra, anybody can come for DNA profiling but there should be genetic connection. “If a husband claims that the victim is his wife or a wife claims that the body is of her husband, then it can’t be ascertained. In that case, some other relatives should come who are genetically related, for example a sibling or child of the victim,” Dr Mishra informed.
When asked about the time required for DNA verification, Dr Mishra said that in an emergency case, it takes 2-3 days to ascertain the identity of the body but normally it takes at least a week. "Some bodies may already have been identified through their faces. Once the sample comes to the lab, it takes 1-2 days to ascertain identity using DNA fingerprinting,” he added.
Referring to the issue of handling mixed samples, Dr Mishra said, “If blood from two people is mixed, it becomes tricky. But if tissues are collected separately, we can distinguish between individuals.”
Stressing on the importance of careful sample collection, Dr Mishra said, “Tissues should be placed in separate polythene bags and transported on ice to a certified lab. This ensures the integrity of the samples."
Dr Thejaswi H T, professor and head, forensic medicine, ABVIMS & Dr RML Hospital in New Delhi said that DNA fingerprinting is a very accurate technique and used routinely to deal with paternity and identity issues. It is especially useful in cases of mass disaster.
“Saliva of both parents is required for accurate paternity testing and usually 48-72 hours are required by labs for DNA fingerprinting results,” said Dr Thejaswi adding, trained FSL personnel can perform the task with minimal mixing of samples.
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Bodies Of Six Air India Crash Victims Handed Over To Relatives, Say Police
