CBI plans to conduct DNA tests in Hanskhali rape case

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is planning to conduct DNA tests in the Hanskhali rape case to check whether the samples collected from the crime spot match with those found on the arrested accused, an officer of the agency said on Friday.

A class 9 student was allegedly raped on 4 April, 2022, in Hanskhali in West Bengal's Nadia district during a birthday party at the house of the prime accused, a local TMC leader's son. She had died after the incident. Her father filed a police complaint on 10 April, 2022, and alleged that the accused had snatched the body at gunpoint and cremated her.

CBI sleuths visited the house again on Friday morning to gather more evidence, after collecting samples from the spot on Thursday night. They plan to collect samples from the arrested accused.

''We will collect DNA samples from the arrested accused and match those with the samples found from the spot. This will be a crucial step in our investigation. We will continue our search operations at different locations in Hanskhali,'' the officer told PTI over the phone.

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CBI sleuths had on Thursday broken open the lock of the prime accused's house and searched the crime spot. They were accompanied by personnel of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the entire search operation and evidence collection was videographed.

The search continued till late on Thursday night and was delayed due to a power cut in the area.

The central investigating agency has been directed by Calcutta High Court to probe the incident. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed doubt about the cause of the girl's death, which her family attributed to rape, and wondered whether the class 9 student died after falling down upon being slapped by someone.

Banerjee had claimed that the deceased had an affair with the prime accused and wondered if she was pregnant. She had also asked why the victim's family had filed a police complaint five days after cremating the body.

Opposition parties described Banerjee's statement as ''shocking'' and alleged that she sought to shield the accused as he is the son of a leader of her party.

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