Rangpur family murder: More than 35 pieces of evidence sent to CID lab

More than 35 pieces of evidence collected from the scene of a four-member family’s murder in Rangpur have been sent to a CID forensic laboratory in Dhaka for examination, police said.

However, DNA samples from two suspects currently in jail have yet to be collected, despite samples from the four victims already being preserved for comparison.

Rangpur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Detective Branch) Sanatan Chakraborty said on Thursday (September 3) that the evidence was sent to the CID forensic laboratory in three batches over the past two days, following the procedures directed by the court.

A CID forensic team led by Inspector Millat collected more than 35 items from the scene when the bodies were recovered, according to investigators.

The evidence includes a fruit-cutting knife, foil allegedly used for consuming yaba, cigarette remains, naan, cucumber and dates, stains from a basin, and a piece of writing found in the notebook of the youngest victim, Priyam.

The evidence was sent to Dhaka 12 days after it was collected, investigators said.

CID Rangpur Superintendent of Police (acting) Sumit Chowdhury said the forensic team had handed over the collected items to the investigation officer after examining the scene.

The CID had already collected DNA samples from retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and his three family members. Investigators plan to collect DNA samples from the two jailed accused, Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, and compare them with samples recovered from the victims and the crime scene.

A match could provide important scientific evidence linking the accused to the killings. Crime experts, however, have stressed the need to collect the suspects’ DNA samples without further delay.

They have also raised questions over the 12-day gap between the collection of evidence and its dispatch for forensic testing.

Police recovered the bodies of Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife, daughter and son from a locked house in the Machuapara (Daspara) area of Rangpur city on August 22.

Neighbouring residents Mugdha Das and Siddhartha Das were subsequently arrested. Ganapati’s elder brother, Gopinath Chakraborty, later filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station.

The two accused have reportedly given confessional statements before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The case is now being investigated by the detective branch of Rangpur Metropolitan Police.