Birbhum killings: CBI to get DNA tests done to identify victims

The DNA samples were collected during post-mortem examination of the charred bodies.

Sources said that Rampurhat hospital has been asked to preserve the DNA samples.

On March 22, seven charred bodies were recovered from the house of one Sona Sheikh by firefighters after the fire was brought under control. It was one of the houses torched in suspected retaliation to the murder of TMC leader Bhadu Sheikh. Later, two more victims died.

Meanwhile, the CBI on Friday summoned the OC of Rampurhat Fire Brigade for a second time in two days for questioning.

The central investigating agency has already collected the CCTV footage of Rampurhat hospital and the police station. However, officers claim that some crucial footage is missing.

On Thursday, a CBI team went to Bogtui village and carried out raids at the house of Lalan Sheikh and another person, both accused in the March 22 killings. The sleuths found four CCTV cameras installed at different positions outside Lalan Sheikh’s house, with one of them focussed towards the gutted house from where the charred bodies were recovered. However, despite carrying out a search, the officers found the main unit of the computer missing, sources said. The agency may also add an IPC section pertaining to tampering with evidence if they fail to recover all the CCTV footage.

The CBI on Thursday had summoned two more police officers in connection with the suspected retaliatory killings in Bogtui village. Those summoned in the case were a sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector.

The sleuths from the central agency had earlier questioned another sub-inspector, the former SDPO and a suspended IC of Rampurhat police station in connection with the case. The role of the police in the Bogtui case has been under the CBI’s scanner from the first day it took up the probe.

The phone of TMC leader Anarul Hussain, who was arrested earlier on the orders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was confiscated and sent for forensic examination on Thursday. Forensic experts will check if any messages were sent from his phone on the night of the incident and also if any messages were deleted.