Torn by fidayeen bombings, Kabul seeks expertise from Hyderabad DNA hub

HYDERABAD: Terror-hit Afghanistan, which often requires DNA-based identification of victims and suicide bombers who are either charred or blown to pieces in fidayeen attacks and blasts, sought help of Hyderabad’s Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) for setting up a lab and training staff in DNA fingerprinting technology.

CDFD is awaiting the nod from the Centre to extend support to Afghanistan and two other countries, Maldives and Ethiopia, which too have sought assistance. Currently, DNA services pertaining to immigration are being offered in Kabul by DNA testing centres from the United Kingdom.





CDFD director Dr Debashis Mitra said, the centre has expertise not only to improve skill development within the country, but also to train those from other nations. CDFD had already given training to Bangladesh in DNA fingerprinting technology. CDFD staff recently moved to its spacious Uppal campus in Hyderabad.

“For identifying victims killed by ISIS in Iraq, we supplied DNA-testing kits to them and Iraqi officials carried out tests on their own. Now, we have sought the Union government’s nod for aiding governments of Afghanistan and two other nations,” Debashis Mitra told TOI.

While CDFD has to set up new labs and send personnel to Afghanistan and Ethiopia, such labs already exist in Maldives, but personnel have to be trained in latest DNA technology. Incidentally, the Delhi unit of the International Committee of Red Cross sought CDFD’s assistance to train experts during disasters. In the case of Iraq, CDFD supplied DNA testing kits to Baghdad after requests of regional passport officer of Indian Ministry of External Affairs to identify 39 Indians killed by ISIS.

CDFD is working on enhancing capabilities and developing newer technologies. “We are working on whole genome sequencing of various species for which we will collaborate with National Institute of Plant Genomic Research which comes under department of biotechnology,” said Mitra.

CDFD recently struck an agreement to train IPS cadets from Hyderabad’s Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy. Apart from IPS officers, SVNPA also trains cadets from Maldives and Bhutan.

A CDFD report also helped the Rajasthan forest department to nail Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the black buck shooting case in which he was convicted recently by a Jodhpur court.