No drugs detected in dope tests of accused Siddhartha and Mugdha

No drugs were detected in the dope tests of Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, who were arrested in connection with the murder of four members of the same family in Rangpur. Their urine samples were collected from inside the jail yesterday, Sunday, and tested at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The Rangpur Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) police received the test report this afternoon, Monday.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone at around 2:45pm today, Rangpur Metropolitan DB Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanatan Chakraborty said, “We received the dope-test report of Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das at around 2:30pm today. The report states that no traces of drugs were found in their bodies.”

Sanatan Chakraborty said the suspects’ urine samples were tested eight days after the incident.

“After so many days, drugs cannot be detected through a urine test. If the test had been conducted within two or three days, they could have been detected,” he said.

Sanatan Chakraborty said urine samples are tested for dope tests at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The facility does not have the option of testing hair or blood samples.

Police had earlier said that Siddhartha and Mugdha had taken drugs before killing the four victims. In statements recorded before a court, they also reportedly said they had taken eight to nine yaba tablets before the killings.

Asked whether the absence of drugs in the dope test contradicted their statements, Deputy Commissioner Sanatan Chakraborty said, “The investigation is ongoing. We are not sitting idle. Necessary measures will be taken at a later stage.”

Yesterday, Sunday, members of the Rangpur DB police went to Rangpur Central Jail accompanied by a technician from Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The urine samples of Siddhartha and Mugdha were collected inside the jail. Police said the samples were collected there because bringing the suspects outside the jail for the dope test could have created the risk of an attack or mob violence.

Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das have already confessed before a court to killing the four victims in statements recorded under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. They are currently being held at Rangpur Central Jail.

On the night of 22 August, police recovered the bodies of retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and their two children from their home in the Machuapara area of Rangpur city. Neighbours Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das were arrested in connection with the incident.

According to police, the four were killed after they objected to the accused taking drugs. Ganapati Chakraborty’s elder brother Gopinath Chakraborty filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station in Rangpur city against unidentified persons.