4 murders in Rangpur: Police commissioner gives new account of crime scene, timing and motive

Retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and daughter were killed on the open rooftop of their home’s second floor, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud told a press conference.

According to him, the bodies of the mother and daughter were later moved to the staircase inside the rooftop gate so that they could not be seen from the roof of the neighbouring house. When 12-year-old son Ayush Chakraborty woke up and saw accused Siddhartha Das, he too was killed.

Abdul Mabud disclosed the information at a press conference held at 10:00 am today, Thursday, at the auditorium of the Rangpur Police Commissioner’s Office.

The police commissioner said the two arrested youths, Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, used to go to Ganapati Chakraborty’s rooftop to take yaba. Although the rooftop of the neighbouring house was empty, the wall around Ganapati Chakraborty’s rooftop meant they could not easily be seen from outside. For this reason, they would sit behind the water tank and take yaba there.

Citing Siddhartha’s statement, the police commissioner said Siddhartha and Mugdha took eight yaba tablets on the night of the incident. This was the largest amount of yaba they had taken together in their lives.

After daylight broke in the morning, Ganapati Chakraborty saw them while walking on the rooftop. He scolded them, saying, ‘What are you doing so early in the morning?’ At that point, they were not in their right minds. They wrapped a gamcha (cotton towel/scarf) around Ganapati Chakraborty’s neck and pulled it tight to kill him.

At the press conference, Abdul Mabud further said, “The teacher’s (Ganapati Chakraborty’s) wife and daughter probably came to the rooftop after hearing the noise. When they screamed, Mugdha strangled the wife with the gamcha that had been around Ganapati’s neck.”

“Siddhartha pressed the daughter’s neck with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. Later, the two of them wrapped the gamcha around the daughter’s neck and pulled it. When she still did not die, they brought a rope from beside the box used to keep food for pigeons, wrapped it around her neck and pulled it from both sides,” he added.

The two then took an old pair of pliers found on the rooftop, went downstairs and cut the electrical wires. According to the police commissioner, they cut the wires so that any CCTV cameras installed in the house would be disconnected.

According to the police commissioner, Siddhartha then returned to the rooftop and, together with Mugdha, placed the bodies of Ganapati Chakraborty’s wife and daughter near the staircase inside the roof entrance. As the neighbouring roof was only two feet away, the bodies were placed there so that they could not be seen from there.

After the two youths entered Ganapati Chakraborty’s room, his son Ayush woke up and saw Siddhartha. Seeing him, the child asked, ‘Siddhartha dada, why are you here?’ Fearing that someone in the neighbouring house might hear a sound, they strangled the child with a piece of cloth and killed him as well, said the police commission.

At a press conference at the same venue last Sunday, the police commissioner, citing statements by the two arrested youths, had said that Ganapati Chakraborty was killed on the rooftop of the house in the early hours of the morning, while his wife and daughter were killed on the staircase of the second floor, and the 12-year-old child was killed while asleep. It was said at the time that the child was attacked while sleeping.

At today’s press conference, the commissioner explained the earlier statement, saying, “We had previously said that the child was asleep and that they pounced on the sleeping child, that was what we had learnt from their statements at the time, so we said only that much. In court, they said that they had confessed before the court that the child woke up and saw Siddhartha.”

The police commissioner provided information on the motive for the killings that differed from his earlier account. Last Sunday, he had said the two youths, angered by being prevented from taking yaba on the rooftop of the house, had carried out the killings. Today, however, he said that, in addition to the dispute over yaba use, Siddhartha may also have had grievances with Ganapati Chakraborty’s family over land.

Citing Siddhartha Das’ statement to the court, Abdul Mabud said the Chakrabortys had bought land belonging to Siddhartha’s ancestors. Although the land was bought at a relatively high price, Siddhartha’s family members who were co-sharers had not received the money they were entitled to, he said. They were investigating this matter, adding that Siddhartha may have harboured resentment over it.

The police commissioner also said at today’s press conference that the issue of social distance between Ganapati Chakraborty’s family and local residents was being investigated. He said most of the residents of Machhuapara belonged to the Das lineage, while Ganapati Chakraborty’s family belonged to the Brahmin community.

Although they would see each other on the streets, there was no visiting each other’s homes or close social interaction. Investigators were also looking into whether this had caused any resentment in the minds of the two youths, added the police official.

After reading out his written statement, the police commissioner was questioned by journalists. However, he answered only two questions before quickly leaving the press conference. Journalists reacted, as they were given no further opportunity to ask questions about the changes in the police account of the location, timing and motive of the killings.

A media worker was heard shouting at the police commissioner, “If you cannot answer the questions, you could have simply recorded your statement on video in your office and sent it over.”

On Saturday night, the bodies of retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, daughter Agami Chakraborty, 25, and son Ayush Chakraborty, 12, were recovered from their home in Machhuapara in the Kamal Kachna area of Rangpur city. Police said all four had been strangled to death.