In a new turn in the mystery-clad and gruesome murder of Jhenaidah-4 MP Md Anwarul Azim Anar, West Bengal police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have recovered bones from the bank of a canal in North 24 Parganas believed to be the parliamentarian's.
"We have recovered some bones, which prima facie appear to be human bones. We are sending them for forensic analysis," said Inspector General of Police (CID) AK Chaturvedi, reports Indian media.
"The bones appear to be that of the human rib cage and arms. The skull was yet to be recovered", he added.
On 7 June, the West Bengal CID arrested Siam Hossain, who allegedly played a key role in disposing of the body parts of the slain MP.
Officials said that it was Siam who led the cops to the spot from where the bones were recovered.
"If the forensic report confirms that they belong to humans, we will go for DNA analysis to ascertain that they belong to the murdered MP. For that, permission from the court is required. It is a long process," said an officer.
West Bengal CID officials said that the spot from where the bones were recovered on the bank of a canal near Polerhat in North 24 Parganas is around 15 km away from the New Town apartment where the MP Anar was murdered and his body was dismembered.
"We have been searching this area for over two weeks based on the information provided by another accused Jihad Hawaldar, who was arrested on May 23. Hossain gave the specific location during interrogation," said another officer.
Investigation so far has revealed that Hossain and Hawaldar disposed of the body parts and murder weapons.
After Azim was allegedly murdered in the New Town apartment, it was Hawaldar, a professional butcher brought in from Mumbai, who deskinned the body, segregated the flesh from the bones, and chopped the body parts, police said.
While the flesh was flushed in a commode the bones and murder weapons were reportedly disposed of by Hossain and Hawaldar in a canal.
Some flesh was recovered from a septic tank in the New Town apartment where the MP was murdered. They have been sent for forensic analysis to ascertain whether they belong to any humans.
In all, five persons have been arrested to date by both the West Bengal CID and Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The mastermind of the murder, Aktaruzzaman Shahin, who was a long-term business partner of the murdered MP is still absconding. He is believed to have fled to the US.
