The examination of viscera samples of Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee has encountered a roadblock, with Balasore police attributing the delay to Digha Mohana police being occupied with election duty in West Bengal.
The actor drowned during the shooting of a TV serial at Talasari beach in Balasore last month. During the post-mortem examination at Digha State General Hospital on March 29, medical officers preserved his viscera samples. However, Digha police have yet to send them for forensic analysis to establish the cause of death.
When Balasore police sought the report, they were informed that the samples would be dispatched immediately after the first phase of elections concludes on April 23, according to a Balasore police officer. The post-mortem indicated that Banerjee's lungs were filled with seawater and sand.
On April 4, Talasari police registered a case against five senior officials of the production company on charges of negligence leading to the actor's death on March 29, and fabricating a false narrative around the incident.
Police sources said the testimony of Banerjee's wife, actor Priyanka Sarkar, who is the complainant in the case, is likely to be recorded on Wednesday. Summons have been issued to the accused, directing them to appear at Talasari police station on April 24. Balasore police have also requested all relevant case records from Digha Mohana police.
