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New Delhi: In a first-of-its-kind investigation, the Delhi Police has relied on gait pattern analysis as a forensic evidence to identify the accused in the murder of a 32-year-old UPSC aspirant in the city, according to an Indian Express report.
The victim, Ram Kesh Meena, was allegedly killed in October last year at his rented accommodation in north Delhi's Timarpur. Police have named Meena's live-in partner Amrita Chauhan, her former boyfriend Sumit Kashyap and an alleged accomplice, Sandeep Kumar, as accused in the case.
According to investigators, Chauhan was upset with Meena over his refusal to delete intimate videos of the two. Police claim that after she shared this with Kashyap, the duo conspired to kill Meena.
An 813-page chargesheet in the case was filed on Monday before the Tis Hazari Court.
As per the chargesheet, Meena was first assaulted and then strangled using a mobile phone charging cable. The accused allegedly attempted to pass off the murder as an accidental death by setting the house on fire. However, the post-mortem examination revealed injuries inconsistent with an accidental blaze.
CCTV footage collected during the probe showed the accused entering the house around 8.45 pm on October 5. About 38 minutes later, Kumar was seen leaving, while Chauhan and Kashyap stayed back. Police said the two later poured petrol on Meena's body and set it on fire before leaving the premises at around 2.57 am on October 6.
The autopsy report also mentioned about burn injuries that Meena suffered and suggested that he was alive or unconscious at the time he was set ablaze.
Investigators then turned to gait pattern analysis to strengthen the case. Forensic experts examined factors such as stride length, movement of limbs and overall walking patterns. CCTV footage from five locations in and around the crime scene was compared with recreated videos of the suspects using specialised computer software, according to the Indian Express report.
Experts from Gujarat were called in to assist with the analysis.
The investigation also ruled out the possibility of an accidental fire caused by electrical appliances. A burnt air conditioner recovered from the spot was examined by technical experts, who found no leakage or malfunction in the compressor.
Police questioned 55 witnesses during the course of the investigation. They have also alleged that the murder was premeditated, claiming that the accused had rented another house in south Delhi's Chhatarpur, where they went after the killing.
