BENGALURU, Sept. 23 -- Hair belonging to people other than Santosh Rao were found on the victim's clothing, providing DNA material that the Supreme Court said can still be compared with samples from suspects identified in a fresh investigation into the Dharmasthala rape and murder case.

The evidence, recovered from Material Object 15, identified as the victim's churidar top, was cited by the Supreme Court while rejecting the argument that the passage of time had made a meaningful reinvestigation impossible.

Vinod J Lakkappan, assistant director of the Toxicology Division, Madivala, Bengaluru, who conducted the DNA analysis, told the court that the hairs found on the garment did not belong to Rao.

Lakkappan also testified that blood sam...