"Evidence" against 2nd servant result of typo: Expert to court

One of the most debated pieces of evidence in the Noida double murder case, Hemraj's DNA recovered from a pillow cover which the Talwars claimed was seized from their servant Krishna's home, indicating his complicity, was actually a case of a typographical error, ruled the special CBI court.
The court relied on the testimony of SPR Prasad, senior technical examiner from the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, where the pillow cover was sent by CBI for testing, who said there were "typographical errors" in the marking of two pillow covers as evidence.
The initial report had claimed that Hemraj's DNA was found on a pillow and pillow cover seized from Krishna's room, but, later, when CBI sought a clarification, it was said that there had been a "typographical error" and the pillow on which Hemraj's DNA was found was actually recovered from Hemraj's room.

But the Talwars had contended that it was actually an attempt at a cover-up by CBI with a view to allegedly framing them.
"He (Prasad) has given cogent reasons for this faux pas. He has stated on oath that before being given input electrophoregrams of Exhibit-Y204 CL-14 from which DNA profile was received and Exhibit-Y204 CL10 from which DNA profile was not received, were checked. It is to be noted that no DNA was found in the pillow-cover of Krishna by CFSL, New Delhi, and CDFD, Hyderabad, and both have found DNA of Hemraj in the pillow-cover of Hemraj," Lal said.

He said Talwars had already raised the issue before Allahabad High Court which said that the clarificatory letter by CDFD had explained as to how the error had crept in. The objections raised by the accused are baseless and it was clear that DNA of Hemraj was not found on Krishna's pillow-cover, the court had held.
The judge said, "It is also pertinent to mention here that original Exhibits have proper tags of CFSL and CDFD and full description of the Exhibits have been mentioned on the tags and signed by the experts concerned. All the tags have been exhibited with envelopes and material Exhibits i.E. Pillow- cover and pillow with cover.

"In view of this clinching scientific evidence, the arguments advanced on behalf of the accused have got no force," the court said.