Experts from the state forensic science laboratory (SFSL) on Sunday collected samples from the house of Bara Lalan Sheikh, the prime accused in the March 21 Bogtui carnage who was allegedly killed in CBI custody, to probe the alleged theft in the house when that was also under the custody of the central agency.

“The SFSL experts were inside the two-storey house in Bogtui village for around three hours. They collected samples including fingerprints, footprints and a few articles from different places in the house. They also took photographs of the doors and the windows of the house. All of these are part of a probe into a theft case that is being handled by the CID now,” said a police source.

CBI sleuths had sealed the two-storey house of Sheikh a few days after the central agency took over the investigation of the Bogtui carnage case, in which 10 people were killed following a retaliation effort to the murder of Trinamul leader and Barshal gram panchayat deputy chief Bhadu Sheikh, on March 21.

The house was opened in presence of the CBI on December 13 following an order by a Rampurhat court after the hanging body of Bara Lalan Sheikh was found in the camp office of the central agency.

The probe into the custodial death was taken over by the CID, the state intelligence agency, after the victim’s wife Reshma Biwi had lodged a murder complaint against seven CBI officers including the DIG, the SP and another investigating officer who is probing the multi-crore cattle smuggling case.

Sources said that within a few days after the house was opened, Reshma Biwi discovered that several items including Rs 50,000 cash and gold ornaments were stolen from her house. “She lodged a theft complaint with Rampurhat police on December 16. The house was again sealed by the state police and the investigation was handed over to the CID as it was simultaneously probing the alleged murder of Bara Lalan Sheikh,” said a source.

“When I entered the house after around eight months, I discovered that many items including cash worth Rs 50,000 and a few gold ornaments had been stolen from the house. I discovered that the door on the rooftop was not locked and I suspect that the thieves had entered that way. Only the CBI knows what happened as the house was in their custody during that period,” said Reshma Biwi.