Hanskhali rape: CBI plans to conduct DNA tests; BJP team meets family

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 April 4 in Hanskhali in West Bengal's Nadia district during a birthday party at the house of the prime accused, a local Trinamool Congress leader's son.

She had died after the incident.

Her father filed a police complaint on April 10, 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.

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.

BJP fact finding team meets victim's family

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Party fact finding team met the family members of the minor girl and slammed the state administration for failing to ensure the safety and security of women in the state.

The team members spoke to the family members and the locals, party sources said.

They will submit their report to BJP national president J P Nadda, who formed the fact finding committee earlier this week.

It comprised of the party's vice-president Rekha Verma, national president of BJP Mahila Morcha Vanathi Srinivasan, party leader Khushbu Sundar and West Bengal MLA Sreerupa Mitra Choudhury, the sources said.

"Atrocities against women in West Bengal is beyond words. A minor girl was brutally raped and murdered. This proves the administration has failed to ensure the safety and security of women. This is a shameful incident," Verma told reporters after meeting the family members.

Reacting to Verma's comment, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dubbed the allegations as 'baseless'.

"The women of the state are safe and secure in West Bengal under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. The BJP is quick to send teams to West Bengal but never bothers to send similar teams to Uttar Pradesh, where rape cases were reported from Hathras and Unnao," he added.