Rangpur killings: all four died of strangulation, says police

All four members of a family, including retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, were strangled to death, while investigators found no evidence of rape, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Rangpur Metropolitan Police headquarters, the commissioner said the autopsy reports confirmed that the four victims were strangled.

He said investigators believe the killings were carried out by Mugdha Das and Siddhartha Das after the victims allegedly objected to drug use.

“The autopsy confirmed that all four were killed by strangulation. Vaginal swabs were collected from the female victims, but no evidence of rape was found,” Mabud said.

He also clarified a claim that semen had been found on one of the bodies. According to the commissioner, the substance identified as semen was actually a postmortem bodily discharge from the deceased.

Meanwhile, Electricity Das, caretaker of the Dakhiganj crematorium, reportedly told a court in a confessional statement under Section 164 that Mugdha Das sought shelter at the crematorium after the killings.

According to the statement, Mugdha approached him and said, “Brother, give me some water. Siddhartha sir and I have killed four people.”

Police are also investigating a possible property-related motive. According to Mabud, Ganapati Chakraborty had purchased land from Siddhartha Das’s ancestors and later built his home there.

The commissioner said some members of Siddhartha’s family were reportedly unhappy over the price at which the land was sold and the way the proceeds were distributed among family members.

“Resentment over the sale of the land and the distribution of the money may have played a role. We are investigating the matter,” he said.