Laila Khan case: Remains sent for tests

The six skeletal remains unearthed from the Igatpuri farmhouse of Laila Khan, believed to be those of the starlet and members of her family, have been sent to the departments of anatomy and toxicology at JJ Hospital to determine their identity, and to ascertain if the murders were premeditated.

The six skeletal remains unearthed from the Igatpuri farmhouse of Laila Khan, believed to be those of the starlet and members of her family, have been sent to the departments of anatomy and toxicology at JJ Hospital to determine their identity, and to ascertain if the murders were premeditated.

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Joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy said on Friday that the anatomy department has been asked to reconstruct figures out of the skeletons since the cartilages and tissues of the bodies have decayed completely, leaving only the bones.

“Experts will put mounds of clay on the skeletons with clinical measurements, which will give the five female and a male skeleton their distinct identities,” Roy said.

Meanwhile, toxicologists have taken marrow and bone samples to detect presence of foreign toxins.

“If the samples test positive for toxins, it can be concluded that the victims were poisoned before the injuries were inflicted. This can establish that the murders were premeditated, and not committed on the spur of the moment as claimed by the accused, Parvez Tak.”

The confirmation of premeditated murders would make it a case of homicide, instead of the culpable homicide charges that Tak might plead if the murders were a result of sudden provocation.

The skeletal remains are also being examined to find out whether the injuries were post- or ante-mortem.

Roy said that since DNA profiling of the bones is crucial in establishing the identities beyond doubt, the police are contemplating taking DNA samples from Khan’s father Nadir Patel, her mother Celina’s mother (for Celina), and Celina’s sister (for Khan’s cousin sister Reshma Patel).

The police have started investigation into the whereabouts of the missing jewellery from the family’s Oshiwara flat.