DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT IN 2000 RAPE CASE
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of RAJEEV KUMAR, 30, in the 2000 rape of a New York University School of Law student. KUMAR is charged with Rape in the First Degree and Sodomy in the First Degree. In 2000, the victim told police she was raped in a limousine. A rape kit was collected from the victim, and although DNA was recovered, no matches were found. In 2009, KUMAR was convicted of arson after setting a limousine on fire in Queens. His DNA, which was collected upon his conviction, matched the 2000 rape.
“DNA evidence brings life to cold cases and delivers justice for victims, like the one in this case, who believe their cases might never be solved,” said District Attorney Vance. “Earlier this year my Office pushed to expand our DNA database by requiring DNA collection upon conviction for all Penal Law crimes. This will not only solve crimes, but save lives by catching repeat offenders before they can strike again. The success of the DNA databank is indisputable –the statistics speak for themselves. I want to thank the prosecutors and investigators who have become experts in the field of DNA evidence, and whose work has kept New York at the forefront of this field.”
The state currently has 356,054 samples collected upon conviction in its database, and 31,559 samples taken from crime scenes. This has solved or aided in the investigation of more than 9,500 crimes – leaving more than 22,000 DNA samples collected at crimes scenes without a match.
District Attorney Vance thanked Assistant District Attorney Martha Bashford, who is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
RAJEEV KUMAR, D.O.B. 3/26/80
Queens, N.Y.
Charges:
* Rape in the First Degree, one count, a Class B felony
* Sodomy, one count, a Class B felony
A class B felony is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
“DNA evidence brings life to cold cases and delivers justice for victims, like the one in this case, who believe their cases might never be solved,” said District Attorney Vance. “Earlier this year my Office pushed to expand our DNA database by requiring DNA collection upon conviction for all Penal Law crimes. This will not only solve crimes, but save lives by catching repeat offenders before they can strike again. The success of the DNA databank is indisputable –the statistics speak for themselves. I want to thank the prosecutors and investigators who have become experts in the field of DNA evidence, and whose work has kept New York at the forefront of this field.”
The state currently has 356,054 samples collected upon conviction in its database, and 31,559 samples taken from crime scenes. This has solved or aided in the investigation of more than 9,500 crimes – leaving more than 22,000 DNA samples collected at crimes scenes without a match.
District Attorney Vance thanked Assistant District Attorney Martha Bashford, who is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
RAJEEV KUMAR, D.O.B. 3/26/80
Queens, N.Y.
Charges:
* Rape in the First Degree, one count, a Class B felony
* Sodomy, one count, a Class B felony
A class B felony is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
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