Investigators probing the >Sheena Bora murder case received a shot in the arm on Monday, with DNA reports confirming that the remains of the body exhumed at Raigad in Maharashtra belonged to Sheena, sources said.
It is learnt that the samples obtained from the skeleton unearthed at Pen Taluka in Raigad on August 28 and sent to Kalina Central Forensic Laboratory tested positive when matched with those obtained from Indrani Mukherjea, Sheena’s mother and one of the three accused.
“Yes, we have prepared the report and handed it over to the Mumbai Police,” said lab director Satish Mathur, without giving details.
The sources, however, added that Sheena’s samples were also matched with those of her brother Mikhail, and the results were positive. A source said the findings were concurrent with the possibilities laid out by the Mumbai Police at the beginning of the probe.
The police remained tight-lipped on the latest development. A senior police officer connected to the probe said in the afternoon that they had not received the forensic test report yet.
Biological relationship Another officer said the DNA match conclusively proved the biological relationship between those from whom the samples were collected.
The samples of Siddhartha Das, who claims to be Sheena and Mikhail’s father, were also sent, but the police did not confirm whether those also matched with the remains. The police are not focussing on paternity at this stage, but they believe that it will strengthen their case, if that is established.
Earlier, the police said the digital facial recognition test on the skull dug out at Raigad yielded positive results and the other forensic test results revealed the approximate age and height of the deceased, matching the corresponding parameters of Sheena.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mukherjea’s husband and former Star CEO Peter Mukherjea was called to the Khar police station again and was questioned by Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria till late evening.
The money trail, which the police say is vital, is still being probed.
