Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) - Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) Unit for DNA Profiling [Autonomous Institutes of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India] Nalco Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar-751 023, Odisha Tel No. 0674-2301900, 2300137, 2301460, 2301476, 2300129 Fax No. 0674-2300728 PROCEDURE FOR EVIDENCE COLLECTION, HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION Handling & Transportation Methods The DNA Profiling Laboratory by Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) at Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar provides services to various investigating agencies to resolve cases of biological relationship / Maternity / Paternity disputes, to establish the identity of the source of biological evidence in sexual assault cases, linking the suspects to biological evidence found at the crime scene, identification of mutilated remains of deceased, identification of missing persons and child-swapping cases in hospital wards. This has been prepared to disseminate information to the investigating officers/ judicial authorities/ medical officers about the process of evidence collection, preservation and forwarding the samples for DNA fingerprinting analysis. No private cases are accepted at ILS unit of CDFD. Only cases referred by law enforcement agencies or Court of law will be accepted for DNA fingerprinting The following biological evidence or samples could be used to isolate DNA to conduct DNA testing: Biological Evidence Blood on FTA card, buccal swabs and saliva samples Foetus or foetal parts and amniotic fluid Teeth, mandible with teeth, skull with teeth, long bones like femur, tibia and muscle tissue, post-mortem blood, hair, etc. Post-coital vaginal swabs, vaginal smear slides, victim s garments, used condoms, and pubic hair, etc. Weapons such as knife, scissors, blade and pistol, etc.
Ligatures such as rope, belts, tape and cord, etc. Bedding such as sheets, blankets, pillows, pillow covers and mattress pads, etc. Clothing, hats, masks, eyeglasses, jewellery, used gloves, etc. Drinking containers such as cups, cans and bottles Household materials such as towels, used tissues, toothbrush and hair brush, etc. Licked items such as envelopes, stamps and chewing gums Cigarette butts or other smoking devices The procedures described here are simple, time tested and most suitable for Indian conditions. The samples should be collected in the way prescribed below and forwarded to ILS/CDFD. To establish paternity: The blood samples of mother, disputed child and alleged father are required. The blood samples of the persons can be collected on the FTA cards (the stains have to be put in the two circles on the FTA card) and sent to ILS unit of CDFD for DNA fingerprinting examination to establish paternity. The detailed procedure for collection and transportation of blood on FTA cards is described below. The bloodstains of the concerned persons can be collected by any qualified Medical Officer and sealed in the presence of Hon ble judicial authorities and sent to ILS/CDFD, along with the specimen seal for comparison. The date and time of collection, name of the concerned person whose bloodstain is collected, name of the Medical Officer who collected the blood and his/her signature need to be mentioned on the FTA card. The Forwarding Note and Identification Forms need to be sent duly filled-in, along with an extra passport size photograph of each individual duly attested by an Officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. To establish identity of the deceased: The available biological evidence (like bone, tissue, skull with teeth and hairs, etc.,) pertaining to the deceased, should be duly packed and sealed separately, and sent to ILS unit of CDFD through an authorized messenger in a sealed box (completely burnt bones, ash bones are not suitable for DNA fingerprinting examination). Specimen seal has to be sent for comparison. The bloodstains of the blood relatives (viz., mother, father or children) are also required for comparison. The bloodstains of these persons can be collected on the FTA cards (the stains have to be put in the two circles on the FTA card) and sent for DNA fingerprinting examination. The bloodstains of the concerned persons need to be collected and sealed in the presence of Hon ble Judicial authorities, along with the specimen seal for comparison. The date and time of collection, name of the concerned person whose bloodstain is collected, name of the Medical Officer who collected the blood and his/ her signature need to be mentioned on the FTA card. The Forwarding Note and Identification
Forms need to be sent duly filled-in; along with an extra passport size photograph of each individual duly attested by an Officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. To establish the source of biological evidence in sexual assault cases: The available biological evidence pertaining to the victim/deceased victim like bloodstained clothes/ articles, seminal stains, vaginal smear slides, vaginal swabs, hairs, pubic hair, garments and suspected person s bloodstains, should be duly packed and sealed separately, and sent to ILS/CDFD through an authorized messenger in a sealed box along with the specimen seal for comparison. The bloodstains of the accused/ suspect(s) and victim should be collected on FTA cards as per the procedure described below. To establish identity of the source of biological evidence in other criminal cases (i.e. linking the suspects to the biological evidence recover from the crime scene) : The available biological evidence (like clothing, hats, masks, eyeglasses, jewellery, gloves from any involved individuals, rope, belts, tape, cords, bedding sheets, blankets, comforters, pillow cases, pillows, mattress pads, towels, used tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, cups, cans, bottles, cigarette butts or other smoking devices, drug paraphernalia such as pipes and syringes, handled items such as weapons and tools, licked items such as envelopes and stamps, toothbrush or hair brush) pertaining to the crime scene, should be duly packed and sealed separately, and sent through an authorized messenger in a sealed box. Specimen seal has to be sent for comparison. The bloodstains of the suspect(s) should be collected on the FTA cards as per the procedure described above. The forensic exhibits should be sent as mentioned below: Bloodstained garments Muscle tissues Wrapped with a dry and clean paper or cloth About 100 gms of muscle tissue should be sent in a clean glass bottle/plastic container with 0.9% DNS (normal saline sold in medical shops) on ice or in crystal salt (Table salt i.e. sodium chloride) as a preservative. Tissue samples should not be preserved in formalin. Vaginal swabs/ Vaginal slides The dry cotton swab should be placed in a clean paper envelope/dry glass vial/bottle. The vaginal slide should be sealed in clean paper or slide box
Teeth, Hair with root and Bones (intact) Skull with teeth are preferable Long bones like femur or tibia are preferable The exhibits should be wrapped with a dry and clean paper or cloth Completely burnt bones, pieces of bones and putrefied tissues are not useful for analysis since they may not yield good quality and quantity of DNA Teeth along with skull, which have been subjected to superimposition test, may not be useful for DNA analysis All the samples should be properly collected, sealed and sent to ILS unit of CDFD under certification along with specimen seal for comparison. The samples should reach ILS unit of CDFD between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on any working day (Monday to Friday). ILS/CDFD would undertake cases to establish biological relationship for kidney transplantation purposes if they are forwarded by the Judiciary/ Law Enforcement agencies or by a Govt. Civil Surgeon/ Professor of Govt. Medical Institution/ equivalent in their official capacity, or by the duly constituted "Organ Transplantation Authorization Committee" as per the Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994, upon payment of requisite charges. On request, necessary blood collection material kit (blood lancet and FTA cards) and prescribed formats (Identification Forms and Forwarding Note) will be provided by ILS unit of CDFD to the concerned authorities. Collection and transportation of blood on FTA Cards FTA (Flinders Technology Associates) cards are used for room temperature collection, shipment, archiving, and purification of nucleic acids from blood samples for PCR analysis. Always wear gloves to avoid contamination while handling FTA cards, biological and material evidence. After applying samples, allow them to dry, then store at room temperature in a dry clean environment and pack in a dry and clean envelope.
Application of blood samples (fresh whole blood or with the anticoagulants: EDTA, sodium citrate, ACD, or heparin) on FTA card: 1. Label the FTA card with the appropriate sample identification. The date and time of collection, name of the concerned person with his/her signatures whose bloodstain is collected, name of the Medical Officer who collected the blood and his/her signature need to be mentioned on the FTA card. 2. Drop the blood (<125 µl per 1-inch circle, 0.75 µl per 3/4-inch circle) onto the card in a concentric circular motion within the printed circle area and allow it to air dry. Avoid pudding of the blood sample on the card. Also do not rub or smear the blood onto the card. In the second circle, please spot at 4-6 locations by placing one drop of blood at each location. (Please see the figure below). 3. Samples applied to FTA cards are ready for immediate room temperature storage. Do not heat to shorten the drying period. 4. Dried blood spots will appear darker than freshly spotted ones. 5. The sample is now ready for transporting for downstream processing or archive. 6. The FTA cards can be sealed in a clean, dry envelope and sent to the DNA Profiling Laboratory at ILS unit of CDFD for DNA profiling analysis at room temperature. The prescribed formats need to be submitted duly filled-in along with the samples. An extra attested passport size photograph of each individual, whose bloodstains are being forwarded, should be sent along with the identification form.
MAINTAINING THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND PROPER DOCUMENTATION Chain of custody is the chronological documentation showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence. The chain of custody establish that the alleged evidence is in fact related to the alleged crime, rather than been planted fraudulently to make someone appear guilty. The evidence can be used in court to convict persons of crimes; it must be handled in a scrupulously careful manner to avoid later allegations of tampering or misconduct which can compromise the case of the prosecution. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chain_of_custody) Documentation should include the conditions under which the evidence is gathered, the identity of all evidence handlers, duration of evidence custody, security conditions while handling or storing the evidence, and the manner in which evidence is transferred to subsequent custodians each time such a transfer occurs along with the signatures of persons involved at each step. A police officer will take charge of the evidence and document its collection. Evidence from the crime scene will go to the DNA profiling laboratory for examination where the receiving officer signs the evidence sealed package and dates it. Everyone who handles the evidence does likewise until the analysis is complete. After examination the evidence sealed package will be given to the police for storage until its presentation in court. The receiving police officer will sign for the evidence and it will be stored in a secure area. These transactions, and every succeeding transaction between the collection of the evidence and its appearance in court, should be completely documented chronologically in order to withstand legal challenges to the authenticity of the evidence. The advantage of documentation: When the case is presented in court, the prosecuting lawyer takes over custody of the evidence and signs to that effect. If the chain of custody procedure is handled correctly, the case can proceed with all involved being aware of the precise journey the evidence took from crime scene to the court. This allows evidence to be admitted in court, and witnesses to have the assurance that the item of evidence was indeed present at the scene of the crime and testify accordingly. The judicial official will then be able to use the evidence, along with witness statements and other information, to guide their decision-making process. (http://www.enotes.com/forensic-science/evidence-chain-custody).
SAMPLE COLLECTION Tissue sample preserved in normal saline in packed in glass/plastic jar with proper sealing. Bone sample (intact bone) packed in a dry paper/cloth parcel with proper sealing
Swab packed in a clean dry tube and clean paper envelope with proper seal Garments packed in clear paper/gauze cloth parcel with proper sealing
Teeth intact teeth preferably molar teeth and packed in an envelope with proper sealing Bloodstains on FTA Card Hair sample The FTA card and other exhibit should be properly sealed The Forwarding Note, Identification Form to be submitted along with the case exhibits:
Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) - Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) Unit for DNA Profiling [Autonomous Institutes of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India] Nalco Square, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar 751023, Odisha Tel No. 0674-2301900, 2300137, 2301460, 2301476, 2300129 Fax No. 0674-2300728 FORWARDING NOTE [In all cases where DNA fingerprinting examination of any biological material is required, a copy of this form duly filled, should accompany the material objects] Case/Crime/FIR/MC/OP/OS: Under Section: Date Court/Police Station: District: State: NATURE OF CRIME [Attach separate sheet(s) covering nature, history and any relevant details, if required] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- List the Exhibits and storage being sent for DNA Fingerprinting Analysis [Attach separate sheets(s), if required] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE OF EXAMINATION [Attach separate sheets(s), if required] DNA fingerprinting analysis is required for establishing --------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is/are any person(s) connected with this case, presently in custody. YES / NO Rank and Signature of the Investigation Officer CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY Certified that the Director, Institute of Life Science, Bhubaneswar/Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India, is being authorized to examine the exhibits/material objects forwarded to him in connection with the case no.----------of Judicial Court/PS ------------------------- -----u/s -----------------------dated / / and if necessary to take few portions or utilize it completely for the purpose of DNA Fingerprinting analysis. Date: Place: Signature & Designation of Forwarding Authority (to whom the final report would be sent)
Institute of Life Sciences ILS - Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics CDFD Unit for DNA Profiling [Autonomous Institutes of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India] Affix recent Nalco Square, passport Chandrasekharpur,Bhubaneswar-751 size photograph duly attested Do not 023, Pin/Staple Odisha, India Tel No. 0674-2301900, 2300137, 2301460, 2301476, 2300129 IDENTIFICATION FORM No.: [Fill all the columns & strike out whichever is not applicable] 1) Name : 2) Father's/Guardian's/Husband's Name : 3) Age : Years and Months 4) Gender [Tick the appropriate] : Male Female 5) Caste & Origin of State: : 6) Address [Write legibly] : : Pin 7) Visible Genetic Abnormalities if any : 8) Description of Sample [Viz. Blood/ Bloodstains Buccal or Semen stain/ /Hair/Swab] : 9) Date of sample collection : 10) Case/Crime/FIR/MC/OP/OS No. : 11) Hon'ble Court / Police Station : [Any other specify] DECLARATION BY DONOR/ GUARDIAN I, Son/Daughter/Wife/Guardian of Kum/Master hereby declare that the blood is given with my consent to ILS/CDFD, for DNA fingerprinting. The blood is mine/is of my child and I/child did not receive a blood transfusion within last three months. (Explained in vernacular) (Signature or Thumb Impression of Donor/Guardian) ml blood collected on FTA card in the presence of the following witnesses: Affix recent passport size photograph duly attested Paste Do not Pin /Staple 1) Name: Signature: 2) Name: Signature: 3) Name: Signature: 4) Name: Signature: [For ILS/CDFD use only] ILS/CDFD File No. Sample received : Sample Code No. Received by : Report No. ILS/CDFD/DPL/20 Examined by : Assisted by :