KP seeks explanation on sample quantity, person responsible

A day after a forensic laboratory claimed that actor Vikram Chatterjee's blood sample was inadequate to ascertain whether he was drunk during the accident that claimed the life of model Sonika Chauhan, Kolkata Police today wrote to the hospital on sample quantity and the person responsible for sending it for testing.
"We are seeking explanation from the hospital on the quantity of the blood sample and who was responsible for sending it for testing to the FSL," a senior officer of Kolkata Police said today.
Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) yesterday said that the blood sample taken by the hospital from Chatterjee was inadequate to ascertain whether he was drunk or not while driving his car that met with an accident killing fellow passenger Sonika Chauchan on April 29.

The FSL has written to the Deputy Commissioner South Badana Varun Chandra Sekhar saying that the minimum amount of sample required to conduct the test was not sent by the police.
The blood sample sent to the laboratory on May 8, eight days after the accident, contained approximately 0.5 ml straw colour liquid.
Chatterjee was on Tuesday charged by Kolkata Police with culpable homicide not amounting to murder in place of the earlier charges of rash driving and causing death by negligence in connection with the accident.

Chatterjee was earlier charged with a milder Section 279 of the IPC (rash driving) and Section 304A (causing death by negligence) by Kolkata Police. If proved it would have led to a maximum two-year jail term.

The revised charges if proved would lead to a jail term of up to 10 years.
In the early hours of April 29, the car with Vikram at the wheel and Sonika seated beside him swerved and crashed into the pavement while allegedly over-speeding along Rashbehari Avenue in south Kolkata.