Chewing gum DNA cracks double murder case in Indore, man gets double life sentence

An Indore court sentenced Dhananjay Yadav to double life imprisonment for killing his girlfriend's parents in 2020. The conviction hinged on DNA from a piece of chewed gum, underlining the power of forensic evidence in a no-eyewitness case.An Indore court sentenced Dhananjay Yadav to double life imprisonment for killing his girlfriend's parents in 2020. (AI generated image)A court in Indore has sentenced a 25-year-old man to double life imprisonment for the 2020 murder of a Special Armed Force constable and his wife, who were the parents of a girl he was in a relationship with. The prosecution said a piece of chewed gum found at the crime scene became crucial scientific evidence in the case, which had no eyewitnesses.Additional Sessions Judge Hemant Kumar Raghuvanshi convicted Dhananjay Yadav, alias DJ, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for murdering Jyoti Prasad Sharma, 45, and his wife Neelam Sharma, 43, with a sharp-edged weapon. The court also imposed a total fine of Rs 33,000 on him under various legal provisions.Deputy Director of the Prosecution Department Rajendra Singh Bhadoria told PTI that the couple were killed in the Aerodrome police station area in the early hours of December 17, 2020. He said the Sharma couple strongly opposed their minor daughter's affair with Yadav, and that the girl and Yadav conspired to kill her parents and carried out the crime.Bhadoria said the police relied on scientific investigation as there were no eyewitnesses. "Police found a chewed gum at the crime scene, which was preserved. The DNA sample obtained from the chewing gum was matched with Yadav's DNA. The DNA report clearly established that the perpetrator was present at the scene at the time of the double murder," he said. He said other circumstantial evidence collected during the investigation was also placed before the court as part of the chain of evidence. Deputy Director Aarti Bhadoria appeared for the prosecution in the case.The case ended with Yadav being awarded double life imprisonment for the killing of the SAF constable and his wife, with the prosecution relying on DNA and other circumstantial evidence to secure the conviction. - EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 6, 2026 23:06 IST