Stephen Court tragedy: DNA tests to identify victims

KOLKATA - There were poignant scenes at a state-run hospital here as more than one family staked claim to four corpses charred beyond recognition in the Stephen Court fire tragedy. The authorities are now conducting DNA tests to establish the victims’ identity.

The state-run SSKM hospital has been witnessing drama since Wednesday with dispute arising over the identity of bodies earlier identified as those of Ruhi Parvin, Pampa Chatterjee and Bhagyashree Dhali - all of whom worked for private firms in the ill-fated building.

The scenes became more confusing Thursday morning as the family members of Bidhyut Acharya and Pritish Ghosh - both in their 20s - identified the same body as that of their kin.

The Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) has been entrusted with the tests, city police Joint Commissioner (Headquarters) Jawed Shamim told IANS.

Ghosh was an employee of Winpc Technologies while Acharya worked for a software company on the fourth floor.

“I am sure this is my son’s body. They must give it to me,” said a sobbing Promoti Ghosh.

Ruhi, in her 20s, used to work for Microsyst Tech enterprise. On Wednesday, one of the bodies in the morgue was identified as that of Ruhi by her family members by the ring she was wearing.

However, Bhaskar Chakrabarty, a railways employee, was sure that the body was not that of Ruhi. “I know, she is my wife Tapati”.

A group of experts from the CFSL had started collecting bone marrow samples from children or parents of the four victims.

But Shamim admitted that the road ahead could be difficult. “The bodies are absolutely charred. So, conducting the tests may be difficult.”

On Tuesday afternoon, a devastating fire in the century-old building claimed 24 lives with at least 10 more still reportedly missing.