The Crime Branch of the Kerala police which is probing the sensational serial killings in Kozhikode district may approach forensic laboratories abroad to find out the presence of cyanide from the decomposed body parts of the victims. 

According to media reports, Loknath Behera, the state police chief, said that the investigation team would get the court’s permission for this. The police chief added that since the case needed more circumstantial evidence, additional officers and experts will be added to the investigating team. 

As per a report by the Times of India (ToI), forensic experts said that the sampling of DNA in this case would be a risk as any minor error in the process might lead to the prosecution losing the only scientific evidence and also added that the staff in laboratories in the state lacked the expertise in handling a complicated case like this. 

According to a report by The New Indian Express (TNIE), the samples of tooth, hair and vertebra collected from the graves of the victims are presently at the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory in Kannur, with the results expected in a week. However, the Crime Branch probing the case is not too hopeful about obtaining a positive result. It has been reported that the samples will also be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad for a second round of examination. 

Rural SP KG Simon, was quoted by TNIE as saying, “It has been decided to send the samples to an advanced laboratory in a foreign country if the tests held in India fail in trace analysis. The state police chief has already given the approval for this.” Simon went on to add that the police will, however, wait for the results from both the forensic labs in Kannur and Hyderabad.