Retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and daughter were killed on the rooftop of their house in broad daylight, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud said on Thursday.
He disclosed the details at a press briefing around 10am, citing statements allegedly made by the accused before a court.
According to the police commissioner, Ganapati went to the rooftop for his morning walk on the day of the incident and found accused Siddhartha Das, 23, and Mugdha Das, 19, there.
When he reprimanded them, the accused allegedly strangled him with a gamcha (towel).
Hearing Ganapati’s screams, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty and daughter Parthi Chakraborty came to the rooftop, where they were also strangled, Mabud said.
Police said the bodies of the two women were later dragged towards the rooftop staircase.
The commissioner said the accused had gone to the rooftop to take yaba as the walls and water tank area provided them with privacy. He said Siddhartha told the court that the two had taken eight yaba tablets that night, which was more than they had ever consumed before.
“They did not realise that dawn had broken,” Mabud said, quoting the accused’s statement.
The commissioner said the accused later entered Ganapati’s room, where his 12-year-old son Priyam was sleeping. Police had earlier said the child was attacked while asleep. However, according to Siddhartha’s statement before the court, Priyam woke up, saw him and asked, “Siddhartha dada, why are you here?”
Police said the accused then strangled the child with a piece of cloth to prevent him from raising an alarm.
Mabud said investigators were also examining two possible motives behind the killings. One of the possible motives involves a piece of ancestral land allegedly purchased by Ganapati’s family.
According to the commissioner, some family co-sharers may not have received their rightful share of the money from the sale, which could have created resentment. Mabud also said Ganapati’s family belonged to the Brahmin community, while most residents of the Machuapara area belonged to the Das community, and there was limited social interaction between the two families.
The commissioner did not take questions from journalists after the briefing and left the venue.
The bodies of Ganapati Chakraborty, 65, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, daughter Parthi Chakraborty Agami, 25, and son Priyam Chakraborty Ayush, 12, were recovered on Saturday night.
A case was filed over the killings, and the investigation was later transferred from the police station to the Detective Branch of Rangpur Metropolitan Police. Police said two accused have given confessional statements before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
On Monday, the investigation was transferred from Kotwali Police Station to the Detective Branch.
