Forensic tests give no leads on model’s death

Forensic tests conducted on the body of a 28-year-old model-cum-actor, Rinky alias Priyanshi Chowdhury, allegedly murdered on October 28 by her boyfriend Sahil Malik, have not provided the police with any evidence against him.

Forensic tests conducted on the body of a 28-year-old model-cum-actor, Rinky alias Priyanshi Chowdhury, allegedly murdered on October 28 by her boyfriend Sahil Malik, have not provided the police with any evidence against him.

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Chowdhury’s body was found hanging in her fourth floor residence in Oshiwara while Malik, a small-time model from Oshiwara, claimed to be painting her bedroom next door.

Malik told the police that she had committed suicide.

However, medical reports indicated that she had been strangulated first and then her body had been hanged.

Chowdhury’s mother had also alleged that Malik had been harassing her daughter and had murdered her. The Goregaon police had arrested him for murder.

The police had sent Chowdhury’s nail clippings, clothes and vaginal swab to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Kalina to check for evidence.

“The nail clippings did not have any DNA presence. Her clothes did not have any presence of blood. This, to an extent, rules out the possibility of a scuffle”, said an official from the lab, on condition of anonymity.

The official added that the vaginal swab test, conducted in cases where police suspect rape to have been committed, proved that Chowdhury did not have sexual intercourse in the hours preceding her death, ruling out its possibility.

When asked if the forensic report would weaken the case against Malik, senior inspector of Goregaon police station, Suresh Paithankar said, “We have plenty of evidence that should be good enough to prove that Malik was behind the murder. The forensic report does not impact the case.”

However, he refused to elaborate on the nature of evidence that has been collected against Malik.

The police also questioned Shivendu Shekhar, a friend of Malik, who is allegedly connected to the case.

“We managed to trace Shekhar and interrogated him. He has not been arrested in the case”, said Paithankar. He refused to divulge details of the interrogation.