Even as the sole accused in the gift parcel explosion case, Punjilal Meher, is in the Crime Branch (CB) custody, the CB has formed three teams for gathering more physical and electronic evidence to be required during his trial in court.
A team led by CB IG Arun Bothra on Monday left for Chhattisgarh’s Raipur from where Punjilal had despatched the parcel to the newly-wed groom Soumyasekhar as a wedding gift.
DGP RP Sharma on Monday informed that as several important facts have come up during grilling of accused Punjilal, stress is being laid on scientific investigation and collection of evidence.
“As important data from several electronic gadgets including a hard disk of the courier company where Punjilal had first visited in Raipur before despatching the parcel from another agency has been deleted. We will send them to Israel to retrieve data,” said Sharma.
The DGP further said several other evidences collected would also be sent to Central Forensic Science laboratory in Hyderabad and Cyber Crime lab at Gandhinagar as such advanced forensic investigation facilities are not available in Odisha. He further said that one team of CB is carrying out its investigation to identify the autorickshaw driver, who had taken Punjilal to the courier agency from the railway station in Raipur.
Besides, the team is also examining CCTV footages of several banks and other commercial centres located on the routes taken by Punjilal during his travel within Raipur in an open-tricycle rickshaw.
Sources said Odisha police will also seek assistance of its Chhattisgarh counterparts in connection with the case in Raipur.
A cash reward has been announced for the auto-rickshaw driver if he voluntarily comes forward and records his statement, informed sources.
The CB team would also question some employees of the courier agency as it is suspected that Punjilal had spoken with one of the staff and his footage might have been captured in the CCTV cameras installed there, said sources.