ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Channel 9 has uncovered new details about a University of Central Florida scientist in jail for stealing DNA. Police say he was rejected from going in to one area of the lab that had dangerous chemicals and think that may have motivated him to steal the DNA.

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The rejection came months before the alleged crime. Police say Dr. Singh Meena also took research information from the UCF lab and tried to leave the country. He was at UCF on a one-year fellowship from India and, just days before his time was up, his colleagues turned him in and told their supervisor he had stolen DNA and was planning on taking it back to his country.

"To see them flourish is our whole purpose, and when one does this it is a real sad downer," said Dr. Pappachan Kolattukudy, the college's dean.

Kolattukudy is referring to Meena. In a lab at UCF, Meena was studying the effects certain genes have on tuberculosis. But, days before his trip back home, UCF police arrested Meena for stealing information and DNA.

The concern was that the DNA he stole could be used to create a bio-terrorism weapon. However, the DNA alone is harmless.

But, it's what Meena almost had access to that could have been a problem. Another part of the lab stores other chemicals that could have been combined with the DNA to create a biohazard. Meena was not granted access, although he allegedly sought it.

Meena's close friends told Channel 9 he never posed a threat.

Kolattukudy said the only time Meena could have gotten angry was when he gave him his review.

"I gave a five and he insisted that he should get at least a seven. And I said I cannot change those things," explained Kolattukudy.

Regardless of what happened, the lab now has to catch up on months of work.

Meena's bond is on hold. Officials have to work out immigration issues and then he has to surrender his passport.