Rangpur quadruple murder: Case takes a new turn
Ganapati Chakraborty and his family members. Bodies of all four people were recovered Saturday night. Collected photo.
The investigation into the murder of four members of the same family in the Machuapara area of Rangpur city has taken a new dimension. Initially, drugs were brought to the fore, but now police believe that the killings were not solely due to being caught taking yaba (a methamphetamine tablet), but rather long-standing pent-up anger and grievances over land-related deprivations may also have played some role.
Police Commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, Mohammad Abdul Mabud, disclosed this information at a press briefing on Thursday.
He said that the investigation is progressing to uncover the mystery behind the murders by verifying various information emerging from autopsies and the statements given by the accused in court. Several new details have come to light from the post-mortem reports and police investigation into the killing of four members of the same family. No signs of rape were found on the bodies of the deceased teacher Ganapati Chakraborty's wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, and daughter, Agami Chakraborty. DNA tests and dope tests will be conducted on the two arrested suspects.
Earlier, it was reported that the two angry youths committed the murders after being stopped from taking yaba on the roof of the house. However, the Police Commissioner now said that besides the obstruction to yaba consumption, Siddhartha Das may also have had dissatisfaction with Ganapati Chakraborty's family over land issues.
Citing Siddhartha Das's statement in court, he said that Ganapati Chakraborty's family had purchased land belonging to Siddhartha's ancestors. Although the land was bought at a relatively high price, Siddhartha's family members did not receive their due share of the money. He added that they are investigating whether this could have been a source of resentment for Siddhartha. In addition, there is also a social distance between Ganapati Chakraborty's family and the local residents.
Most residents of Machuapara belong to the Das lineage, while Ganapati Chakraborty's family is from the Brahmin community. Although they met each other on the streets, there was no visiting or close social interaction between them. The police are also examining whether this contributed to any resentment in the minds of the two young men.
At the press briefing, the Police Commissioner clarified that retired teacher of Rangpur Zilla School, Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife, and daughter were killed on the open roof of the third floor of their house. Later, the bodies of the mother and daughter were moved to the staircase inside the roof gate so that they could not be seen from the roof of the neighboring house. When the 12-year-old son, Priyam Chakraborty, woke up and saw the accused Siddhartha Das, he too was killed.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Detective Police, Sanatan Chakraborty, told journalists that the statements given by the two arrested individuals (Mugdha Das and Siddhartha Das) in court, and the testimonies of witnesses (Siddhartha's friend and neighbor Simanto Das, and Dakhigunj crematorium caretaker Bidyut Mohanta) matched exactly. Siddhartha and Mugdha said they consumed yaba late at night at Simanto's house. Then they went to the roof of Ganapati Chakraborty's house from there. Witness Simanto said the same thing.
He said, "Given the brutality of the murders, they could be an outburst of accumulated anger or rage, not just because of drugs. Since the two families are next to each other, one is relatively financially well-off and the other is poor. From their statements and court sources, it is known that the land on which Ganapati Chakraborty's house stands was purchased from their family. There may have been some deprivation, resentment, and frustration over these matters."
Visiting the Machuapara area, it was learned that the six-decimal plot of land on which Ganapati Chakraborty's house was built was once owned by Siddhartha Das's ancestors. Siddhartha's house is adjacent to the boundary wall of his house. On one side of the two-decimal plot is a wall, and on the other side are two tin-roofed rooms and a small shop. At that time, Siddhartha's father, Binay Das, said that the land purchased by Ganapati Chakraborty for his house belonged to his grandfather, Chandra Mohan Das. The total land there was eight decimals. They have their house on two decimals, and Ganapati Chakraborty built his house on the remaining six decimals. Binay Das's father, Dinesh Chandra Das, had four brothers. The eight decimals were divided equally, with two decimals each. About 15 years ago, his three uncles sold their shares of six decimals to others. Later, Ganapati Chakraborty was given the deed for that land.
