Explained | Baba Siddique murder case: What is ossification test ordered by court for one of the accused?

Mumbai Police who are investigating the murder case of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique conducted an ossification test of accused Dharmaraj Kashyap in which it was proved that he is not a minor, an official said on Monday.

The NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister was shot at by three assailants at Kher Nagar in the Bandra area of Mumbai on Saturday night around 9.30 pm, right outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office.

Following this, the senior politician was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Later, doctors told PTI that despite a two-hour-long attempt to save Baba Siddique, he succumbed to his injuries.

What is ossification test

Ossification test is a medical procedure that is conducted to determine age by analysing bones. X-rays of certain bones in the body, such as the clavicle, sternum, and pelvis, are taken to determine the degree of growth in our bones.

The reason that these particular bones are chosen is solely because they tend to undergo the most dramatic changes in their form as a person ages.

Ossification test is commonly used in forensic science and legal contexts for age determination whenever needed.

Courts often use ossification tests in several cases for age determination, however at times these tests are not considered the most accurate.

As per a TOI report, Supreme Court said, “Courts have always held that the evidence afforded by radiological examination is no doubt a useful guiding factor for determining the age of a person but the evidence is not of a conclusive and incontrovertible nature and it is subject to a margin of error. Medical evidence as to the age of a person though a very useful guiding factor is not conclusive and has to be considered along with other circumstances.”

In Baba Siddique’s murder case, the accused were produced before the court by the crime branch team, where Dharmaraj Kashyap’s lawyer claimed that he was a minor, an official said.

Following this, a court ordered an ossification test of Dharmaraj Kashyap on Sunday in which it was proved that he was not a minor, the official said. He was produced before the court and sent to police custody till October 21, the official added.

(With PTI Inputs)