After seven years, paternity test clears man, but police say he remains rape accused
The police are now investigating a second man, while the initial accused still faces charges of repeated sexual assault.
The police are now investigating a second man, while the initial accused still faces charges of repeated sexual assault.
The police are now investigating a second man, while the initial accused still faces charges of repeated sexual assault.
Kasaragod: In 2018, a young unmarried woman accused a man of raping and impregnating her. After seven years of waiting, DNA test results have now confirmed that he is not the biological father of her child.
Following the report, the Manjeshwar police recorded the woman’s statement afresh and registered a new case against another man. "We are sending his blood samples for a paternity test. If it turns out to be positive, he will be charged with rape," said an officer.
A DySP familiar with the investigation said that the case involved the alleged sexual abuse of a woman who was lured with a promise of marriage. After the unmarried woman gave birth in 2018, she named a second person only now. Reflecting on the situation, he added, "Such situations can arise when vulnerable women are deceived by more than one man with false promises of marriage."
Despite the negative paternity test, the first accused is not off the hook. "Even if he is not the biological father, he will continue to remain a rape accused, as it is a case of repeated sexual assault," the officer said. Investigators said they have evidence against him.
On the delay of seven years for a DNA test, the DySP said that the samples are processed on a first-cum-first-served basis at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Thiruvananthapuram. "The wait list is long. We can jump the queue only if there is a priority request from the state police chief," he said.