CBI may opt for DNA testing to identify victims of Birbhum massacre

Nine people, mostly women and children, were burnt alive at Bogtui village on March 21 following the killing of a Trinamool Congress leader in the area. A TMC block leader Anarul Hossain was also arrested on the orders of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The CBI has already questioned him.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, probing the Birbhum massacre, may opt for DNA testing to identify the victims whose bodies were charred beyond recognition.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers take an alleged eye witness Mihilal Sheikh (L) to the temporary camp office of the CBI at Rampurhat for interrogation in the Bogtui village violence case, in Birbhum district. (PTI PHOTO.)

Nine people, mostly women and children, were burnt alive at Bogtui village on March 21 following the killing of a Trinamool Congress leader in the village. Seven bodies were charred beyond recognition.

“The agency may go for DNA testing to identify the victims,” said a CBI official.

On Friday the federal agency took into custody nine accused persons who were earlier arrested by the Special Investigation Team set up by the Mamata Banerjee administration.

The SIT was probing the case till the Calcutta high court ordered a CBI investigation into the massacre on March 25.

“We had appealed to the court to take into custody 10 people. The court has allowed nine people to be taken into custody for the next five days,” said the official.

At least 22 people have been arrested till date in connection with the massacre. A TMC block leader Anarul Hossain was also arrested on the orders of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The CBI has already questioned him.

The district police have initiated departmental proceedings against both the suspended officers – former SDPO Shayan Ahmed and former Inspector in charge Trideep Pramanik.

Though the seven charred bodies, recovered from one house in Bogtui village, were identified by one Alauddin Sheikh, who claimed to be a distant relative, before they were buried in the presence of district officials, a section of the relatives including Mihilal Sheikh who lost his wife and daughter in the massacre alleged that they didn’t identify the bodies. Mihilal has already been questioned by the CBI.

The CBI is likely to collect DNA samples of the charred bodies from the Rampurhat Government Hospital and Medical College where the post mortem of the bodies were conducted.