CID and forensic personnel off to Lalbagh

Kolkta, Feb 1(UNI) A day after the recovery of 30 human skeletons in the historic town of Lalbagh, a team of CID officers and forensic experts left the city today for Murshidabad district.

"The team has left for Murshidabad for a thorough investigation.

While the forensic experts would conduct tests of the recovered bones to determine how old they are, the CID team would look into other aspects," police sources said.

The recovery of the skeletal remains was made when PWD workers were digging earth for erecting a guard wall between a pond and the local sub-jail. They had been working at the spot for the past ten days.

All the skeletons were dismembered with the body parts being separated from each other.

'' We have recovered at least 30 skeletal remains. While CID and forensic teams are arriving, we are also in touch with local doctors for identification of the remains," Superintendent of Police Rahul Srivastava told UNI.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said apparently the skeletons looked quite old, but nothing could be said for sure before forensic tests. He said some animal skeletons had also been recovered from the spot.

Tension ran high in Lalbagh following the shocking recovery of so many skeletons. People were making various guessworks while officials kept their fingers crossed.

With the area being populated largely by the Muslims, some people said a burial ground could have existed in the place long ago while some said the skeletons could be that of people killed during the Naxalite movement in the 1970s.

Nawab Murshid Quli Khan had made Murshidabad the capital city of Sube Bangla, comprising Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The East India Company reigned from Murshidabad for many years after the battle of Plassey in 1757.

UNI