Baba Siddiqui Murder: Bone Test Of Accused Proves He Is Not Minor; This Is How The Test Works

Dharmaraj's lawyer had claimed that he was a minor, following which the court ordered an ossification test.

The Mumbai Police investigating the murder case of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddiqui conducted an ossification test of accused Dharmaraj Kashyap and it was proved that he is not a minor, officials said on Monday.

Baba Siddiqui was shot dead by three assailants in suburban Bandra on Saturday night. 

Mumbai police arrested Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), from Uttar Pradesh, while one person involved in the killing fled the spot. Dharmaraj's lawyer had claimed that he was a minor, following which the court ordered an ossification test.

Ossification Test Explained

The ossification test, also known as the epiphyseal fusion test, is a method to determine a person's age. This test involves examining x-rays of certain bones in the body, specifically the clavicle, sternum, and pelvis, to determine the degree of ossification. These bones are chosen because they tend to undergo the most dramatic changes in structure as a person ages, as per the National Institutes of Health. 

Ossification is the process of bone formation that occurs in humans from infancy until the end of adolescence. During this time, various bones in the body undergo calcification, or hardening, as minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are deposited in the bone matrix, as per the National Institutes of Health.

As a person ages, the rate of bone formation slows down, and eventually, the bones become more brittle and prone to fracture. Due to the predictable nature of this process, scientists have been able to develop methods for estimating a person's age based on the degree of bone ossification in specific bones.

How Is The Test Performed?

A trained professional, such as a forensic anthropologist, will typically obtain x-rays of the relevant bones in the body. These x-rays are then examined for signs of ossification, such as the fusion of growth plates or segments. Based on the degree of ossification, the professional can estimate the person's age within a certain range. However, this method is not foolproof.