Court rejects police plea for DNA test on actor in drug case

A court here today rejected a petition by police seeking permission to conduct DNA test on Malayalam actor Shine Tom and four women who were arrested last month on charges of possessing cocaine.
In its petition in the Principal Sessions Court, Ernakulam, police had sought permission to take blood samples of the accused to conduct DNA test on them to compare saliva sample from the cigarette butt collected from a flat from where they were taken into custody.
Police argued that it was necessary to scientifically prove that the actor and the women were using cocaine cigarettes.
The court cited a Supreme Court judgement which says that the consent of the accused was required for taking their blood samples and rejected the police's petition.

The other accused are models and an assistant director from Bengaluru.
Police sought fresh permission from the court after the preliminary tests conducted on the blood samples collected from the accused failed to detect any trace of drugs.
Blood samples collected from the accused along with the cigarette butts found in the flat were sent to a local laboratory in Kochi for examination.