DNA samples collected from two suspects in connection with the murders of former schoolteacher Ganapati Chakraborty and three members of his family in Rangpur have statistically matched DNA recovered from evidence at the crime scene, police said.
Rangpur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Detective Branch) Sonaton Chakroborty confirmed the findings on Thursday night, saying laboratory tests found matches in samples taken from date seeds, bitten cucumber pieces and cigarette filters recovered from the house.
“DNA samples collected from Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das were tested at the CID Forensic Lab in Dhaka and matched the DNA found in the evidence,” he said.
According to sources, earlier forensic examinations had detected male DNA on the date seeds, cucumber pieces and cigarette filters, but investigators had not established whose DNA it belonged to.
The samples were later compared with those collected from the two suspects.
On 22 August, police recovered the bodies of Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, a former teacher of Rangpur Zilla School; his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty Bala, 50; daughter Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 25; and son Ayush Chakraborty Priyam, 12, from their locked home in Machhuapara of Rangpur city.
Police arrested Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das within six hours of the murders.
The suspects were transferred from Rangpur Central Jail to Dhaka on the night of 20 September. Their DNA samples were collected at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office the following day.
Investigators collected more than 35 pieces of evidence from the scene, including a fruit knife, foil used for Yaba consumption, cigarette filters, cucumber pieces, date seeds, marks on a washbasin and writing in a notebook belonging to one of the deceased children.
The evidence was sent for forensic examination in several phases.
Police had earlier said the suspects remained inside the house after the killings and ate dates and cucumbers.
The Detective Branch of police is investigating the case.
