The special investigation team (SIT) that is probing the death of IIT Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed has requested the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to revisit the campus and collect samples in the light of the second post-mortem report.
A CFSL team had last visited the IIT in connection with Faizan’s death nine months ago.
The SIT is likely to submit a progress report of its investigation in Calcutta High Court on Wednesday.
“We strongly feel forensic experts need to visit the spot again and collect samples in the light of the second post-mortem report. In case anything emerges, that would be helpful in the probe,” a member of the SIT said on Tuesday.
The team, headed by an officer of the rank of additional director-general of police, is yet to examine the majority of the students and employees of the institute who, they think, could throw light on the death of the third-year mechanical engineering student.
Faizan was found dead in a hostel room on the Kharagpur campus in October last year.
“We have been able to contact only a few students over video call. The campus is closed because of summer vacation. Besides, many of the students who we want to examine are doing internships and are outside Bengal. The college is reopening in the last week of July. The students who are outside Bengal have said they will return to the campus in August,” said a member of the SIT.
Another officer said they have spoken with forensic medicine expert Ajay Kumar Gupta, who conducted the second autopsy on Faizan’s remains on the high court’s order. But they are yet to examine the autopsy surgeon who conducted the first post-mortem. None of the police officers who were involved in the earlier probe have been examined yet, sources said.
“We have got the victim’s call records. But we are awaiting the forensic reports of his laptop and phone. We may examine the cops concerned only after analysing the digital evidence and after talking to the students who we think are relevant to the case,” said an officer.
The team has met Faizan’s family thrice in the past month.
“There is a sea change in the way the case is being handled now from what was done earlier by the district police. These officers appear a lot more concerned and interested in finding the truth,” Faizan’s mother Rehana Ahmed told The Telegraph.
Last month, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court had ordered the constitution of the SIT after going through “new evidence in the second post-mortem report”.
Forensic medicine expert Gupta said in the report that the “manner of death of Faizan Ahmed... was homicidal in nature”.
“In view of the serious omissions in the first post-mortem report and the misdirection of the earlier investigation, this court permits the newly-appointed investigating team to, if necessary, conduct a truth serum and narco analysis test on any of the witnesses or persons they deem necessary to throw light on the incident,” the court order had said.