Law on DNA profiling of unidentified bodies soon, says government

NEW DELHI: The Union government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it will enact a law for DNA profiling of all unidentified bodies, which could help unravel the link between missing persons and those dead. When counsel Ashok Dhamija, appearing for NGO Lokniti Foundation, complained about the lackadaisical approach of the Centre on this issue despite the court entertaining the PIL six years ago, additional solicitor general Pinky Anand told a bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra that the government was finalising a law for DNA profiling of all unidentified bodies.

The PIL said about 40,000 unidentified bodies were disposed of every year, removing every trace of their existence, while thousands went missing from different parts the country annually. It said the link between unidentified bodies and missing persons was worth exploring through DNA profiling to help relatives overcome anxiety about the fate of their near and dear ones who had gone missing.

The SC in 2012 had entertained the PIL and sought responses from the home ministry, the CBI and the secretary, department of scientific and industrial research. The NGO had said many unidentified bodies could be linked to serious crimes and “since the bodies cannot be identified using traditional methods, the perpetrators of the possible crime remain untraced and the families, to which the victims belong, never come to know about the fate of their near and dear ones”.


“DNA profiling of unidentified bodies can help match the missing persons. In addition, DNA profiling of missing persons can help trace them and reunite several who had either been missing or kidnapped as children and forced into prostitution, bonded labour or even those who have turned mentally unstable,” it had said.

The petitioner said though the government was considering a proposal for DNA profiling of unidentified bodies since 2007, no decision was taken yet. As per data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of unidentified bodies recovered and inquest conducted were 37,282 in 2007, 37,668 (2008), 34,902 (2009), 33,857 (2010) and 37,193 (2011).

In 2011, the highest number of unidentified bodies was recovered in Maharashtra (6,313), followed by Tamil Nadu (4,479), Uttar Pradesh (4,084), West Bengal (3,704), Delhi (2,748), Andhra Pradesh (2,639), Karnataka (2,440), Gujarat (2,099), Madhya Pradesh (1,191), Rajasthan (1,170), Haryana (1,159) and Punjab (1,004). The petitioner said 11,846, 13,586 and 13,268 people went missing in Delhi alone in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. From Andhra Pradesh, 47,936 went missing during 2009-12 and in Gujarat, another 37,395 were reported missing during 2007-11.