Police have detained two young men over the killing of four members of the same family in Machhuapara of the Kamalkachhna area in Rangpur city. According to police, the two planned and carried out the killings of former Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and their two children after he tried to stop them from using yaba. They later scattered household belongings in an attempt to make the killings appear to be a robbery.
Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud disclosed the information at a press conference at his office at around 1:30 pm today, Sunday. The two detainees are Siddhartha Das, 19, and Mugdha Das, 23. They are cousins. They were detained from the Dakhiganj cremation ground area of the city early this morning. Their homes are located near that of the slain Ganapati Chakraborty.
Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud said Mugdha and Siddhartha climbed onto the roof of the second floor of Ganapati Chakraborty’s under-construction three-storey house from a neighbouring building in Machhuapara, Rangpur city, on Thursday night. They were using yaba there. Hearing noises, Ganapati Chakraborty went to the open rooftop of the second floor and tried to stop them from using the drug. At that point, the two young men killed him by strangling him with a towel.
When Ganapati Chakraborty’s wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, heard his screams and tried to go to the rooftop, she was killed on the stairs. Their daughter, Agami Chakraborty, 25, was then killed when she attempted to go upstairs. Their 13-year-old son, Ayush Chakraborty, who was asleep in a room, was also strangled to death afterwards.
The police commissioner said the two detainees were already known to the victims. Fearing that their identities would be exposed, Mugdha and Siddhartha killed all four members of the family one after another.
Police recovered the bodies of Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, their daughter Agami Chakraborty, 25, and son Ayush Chakraborty, 13, from the first floor of the house on Saturday night. Ganapati Chakraborty lived there with his family. Construction of the ground and second floors of the building remains incomplete.
Police said Mugdha Das works at a fish shop in the city’s City Bazar, while Siddhartha Das has been working as a craftsman at a jewellery shop in Rangpur for about eight years.
The police commissioner said that after the killings, Mugdha and Siddhartha remained at the house. They bathed there, took dates and cucumbers out of the refrigerator and ate them, and used yaba. They left the house on Friday when the streets were relatively empty during Jummah prayers. Before leaving, they opened cupboards and drawers and scattered clothes and other belongings everywhere.
The press conference said that items used for taking yaba were found on a table inside the house. Evidence was also found suggesting an attempt had been made to test a gold bangle using fire. Based on these clues, Mugdha and Siddhartha were identified and detained. During questioning, police said, they confessed to the killings. Gold jewellery looted from the victims’ home has been recovered from an abandoned place indicated by the two detainees.
According to police, two mobile phones belonging to the slain family had been submerged in water mixed with detergent, possibly in an attempt to destroy evidence. Date pits have been seized from inside the house and have been sent for DNA testing. AKM Nazmul Kader, officer-in-charge of Rangpur Kotwali police station, said preparations were under way to file a murder case over the incident.
Meanwhile, students of Rangpur Zilla School formed a human chain in front of the school this afternoon to protest the killing of the four family members. They demanded that those involved in the murders be swiftly brought to justice.