A forensic medicine expert has told Calcutta High Court while giving his “further opinion” that there was “a gunshot wound” and “a stab wound” on IIT Kharagpur student Faizan Ahmed’s body.

The report submitted by Ajay Kumar Gupta said: “I am further of the opinion that the above-mentioned findings/observation in the person of Faizan Ahmed, 23 years, resulted only from Firearm injury/Gunshot injury over the uppermost part of the outer aspect of the left side of the Neck of Faizan Ahmed between the lobule of left Ear and the left angle of lower Jaw (Mandible) of Faizan Ahmed.”

The report, also sent to the special investigation team probing Faizan’s death, said: “Faizan Ahmed was actually killed by causing stab injury and gunshot injury over uppermost part of outer aspect of neck and respectively.”

The first post-mortem was conducted at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in October 2022. There was a second post-mortem in Calcutta after Faizan’s remains were exhumed and, subsequently, a study by the CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory).

In May 2023, the forensic medicine expert told the court after conducting the second post-mortem that the death was “homicidal in nature”.

Gupta’s latest report, submitted on April 25, 2024, said he was yet to give his final opinion.

“Final opinion regarding the sequence of events that ultimately precipitated death due to combined effects of assault followed by causing Stab injury and Gunshot injury over right side and left side of the neck respectively can be submitted only after careful perusal of the vital records including the videography and still photography of the uppermost part of the outer aspect of the right side of the neck of Faizan Ahmed,” the report said.

Metro has seen the report.

Gupta refused to speak on the report. “The process of perusal of the vital records leading to final opinion is yet to be completed,” he said.

In court on May 21, Justice Jay Sengupta took note of what his report said.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote to Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday seeking justice for Faizan.

“In view of the shocking findings of the second forensic report it is imperative that the perpetrators of the horrific crime as well as any other person involved in concealing the crime, are brought to book,” Sarma wrote.

Rehana Ahmed, Faizan’s mother, said: “Faizan did not commit suicide, which the police and the IIT authorities earlier contended.”

This newspaper reported on February 20 last year that the state advocate-general, S.N. Mookherjee, representing police, told the court that Faizan had committed suicide and that he had been depressed because of his failure to secure an internship offer.

The IIT authorities, too, had said this in their report submitted in the court by the institute’s director, V.K. Tewari, in January 2023.

When contacted by this newspaper, Shankar Chaudhury, a member of the SIT, refused to comment. The IIT Kharagpur director did not respond to calls and text messages from this newspaper.