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Police have said four people, including retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty alias Jewel, were killed in Rangpur after they reportedly tried to prevent the use of yaba.
Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud disclosed the information at a press conference on Sunday (August 23).
The arrested suspects were identified as Mugdha Das of Machhuapara and his cousin’s son, Siddhartha Das. Siddhartha works at PK Jewellers in the city, while Mugdha works at a fish shop in City Bazar.
According to the police commissioner, the suspects told investigators that on Thursday night, Mugdha and Siddhartha bought yaba from a local drug dealer and consumed the drug at the home of a local man named Shimanto.
Later that night, they allegedly went from the rooftop of an under-construction building owned by a man named Debu to the rooftop of Ganapati Chakraborty’s house. While they were consuming yaba there, Ganapati came to the roof after hearing a noise. He was reportedly bare-chested and carrying a towel around his neck.
Police said the suspects strangled him with the towel. When his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, came upstairs after hearing the noise, they allegedly strangled her with a towel on the staircase.
Commissioner Mabud said Ganapati’s daughter, Agami Chakraborty Parthi, came to the scene after hearing her mother’s screams and was also strangled.
“It took four to five minutes to kill her. To ensure her death, they pulled a rope wrapped around her neck and chest in addition to using the towel, breaking her jaw,” the commissioner said.
Ganapati’s son, Priyam Chakraborty, used to play with Siddhartha’s younger brother, Apurba. Police said the suspects killed Priyam by wrapping cloth around him and suffocating him with a pillow.
After the killings, Mugdha and Siddhartha reportedly went to the bathroom and showered. They then ate dates and cucumber from the dining table before consuming yaba again inside the house.
Investigators said the suspects submerged two smartphones in water mixed with detergent in an attempt to erase fingerprints from the devices.
At the press conference, police said the suspects also set a fire to examine gold ornaments found in the house. They later left with the jewellery and scattered various household items to make the incident appear to be a robbery.
The stolen jewellery was later hidden in an abandoned house behind a temple and was subsequently recovered by police.
The police commissioner said the suspects were looking for an opportunity to leave the house because there were more people moving around after morning. They eventually left during Friday prayers, when the streets were relatively deserted.
A murder case has been filed with Kotwali Police Station in Rangpur. Commissioner Mabud said police would try to complete the investigation quickly and submit the charge sheet.