LARKANA: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has returned to the Larkana police the fingerprints cards sent to it in an effort to reach killer(s) of Nimrita Chandani, a BDS final-year student of the Bibi Aseefa Dental College who was found dead in her hostel room on Sept 16.

The fingerprint impressions were collected by the Larkana police from the crime scene soon after the incident.

In its report regarding examination of the fingerprints, Nadra stated that it found no probable match in its database through the Automated Fingerprints Identification System (AFIS).

A letter addressed to the Larkana SSP and signed on behalf of Nadra director general (coordination) Mohammed Zubair Amir said that match could not be found due to low quality of the obtained fingerprints.

The letter said that the 11 cards with fingerprint impressions were being returned in original [to the Larkana police] for “being no longer required”.

The Larkana SSP’s office had sent the fingerprints to Nadra exactly one month after the incident, ie on Oct 16.

When SSP Masood Ahmed Bangash was asked to comment on the delay, he told this correspondent that the incident was reported to the police very late and as such they could only reach the crime scene three hours after the incident. He said many people had already visited the room (crime scene) which was evident from the statements of about 15 people and the college administration. Some of the students stated that they removed the scarf (dupatta) which was wrapped around the neck of the deceased woman. Some others said the door of her room was broken open. That was why the police did not send the fingerprints, which they had obtained from the crime scene, to Nadra as they could not help identify killer(s).

However, the SSP added, the police had to send them to Nadra when Larkana District and Sessions Judge Iqbal Hussain Maitlo, who was later entrusted with a judicial inquiry of the case, asked for it.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2019