SIT to use gait pattern analysis in Shamsherganj double murder case
Times of India | 15 May 2025
Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) plans to use state-of-the-art techniques to build evidence in the Shamsherganj double murder case. Special prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee has been appointed for the case involving the murder of Haragobindo Das, 70, and his son Chandan, 40, on April 12.The SIT plans to use the unique gait pattern technique to build evidence in the case.The chargesheet is likely to be filed by the end of this month. So far, 12 people have been arrested, and two others are still on the run.All the accused, arrested based on CCTV footage, have undergone scientific tests, includinggait pattern analysis. Sources said each person's walking, running, or mannerisms have unique patterns. To build up the case, SIT will do a forensic analysis of the CCTV footage. Later, videos of the accused walking inside their jail cells will be matched with the CCTV data to prove the case in court."People walk in specific patterns, which include various stages known as the ‘gait cycle'. It consists of two phases: stance and swing. The stance phase consists of five stages: initial contact, loading response, mid-stance, terminal stance, and pre-swing.The swing phase constitutes three stages: initial swing, mid-swing, and terminal swing. The gait pattern examination includes ACE-VR (analysis, comparison, evaluation, verification, and report. After a thorough analysis, the findings are presented in a report format that conclusively proves the presence of the accused at the scene of the crime," said a forensic expert.A week ago, it was claimed that the victims had a conflict with one of the accused over a piece of land. "There was a dispute between the victims and accused Hajrat Ali alias Fitur over the former's property," claimed a SIT official. Hajrat has also allegedly confessed the same to the police. Police superintendent Amit Kumar Sahu had said, "It was initially learned that personal animosity might be behind the murder." Meanwhile, a case has been filed in the Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI probe.On April 11, protests against the Waqf Act led to unrest in various areas of Murshidabad. On April 12, looting, vandalism, and arson occurred in six villages, including Betbona and Jafrabad in Shamsherganj. During this, Haragobindo and Chandan were murdered.