Rangpur murders: Investigation handed over to DB

The investigation into the killing of four members of a family in Rangpur has been transferred from Kotwali Police Station to the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

Police said the investigating agency was changed to ensure a more transparent investigation and the quick submission of the charge sheet.

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The previous investigating officer, Inspector (Investigation) of Kotwali Police Station Milon Kumar Chatterjee, went to the Detective Branch office yesterday afternoon and handed over all necessary information, evidence and documents related to the case to the new investigating officer, Zinat Ali, officer-in-charge of the Metropolitan Detective Branch.

Later in the evening, both the former and new investigation officers visited the home of slain schoolteacher Ganopati Chakrabarty in the Daspara area of Rangpur city, the scene of the killings.

Milon briefed Zinat on the details of the crime scene and the information gathered during the initial investigation.

Milon said, “The investigation was transferred on the instructions of the higher authorities. I have handed over all the case documents to the new investigation officer. I also briefed him on all the information gathered from the scene. We inspected the entire house.”

Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Rangpur Metropolitan Police Sanatan Chakrabarty confirmed the development.

“The case has been handed over to the DB, and Inspector Zinat Ali of the Metropolitan Detective Branch is now the investigating officer. He has been assigned the responsibility to conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) brought out a torch procession in Rangpur city last night, protesting the police narrative on the killings. Earlier in the afternoon, teachers and students of Rangpur Zilla School and the Rangpur Metropolitan Citizens’ Committee held a protest rally in the city.

The protesters rejected the police version of the killings and demanded an explanation over who had cut the electricity line. They also called for justice for Ganopati Chakrabarty and the arrest and punishment of those involved.

Advocate Palash Kanti Nag, general secretary of the Rangpur Metropolitan Citizens’ Committee, said they did not believe the police version of the four killings.

“…An organised group is involved in the killings. If all aspects of the incident are investigated thoroughly, the mystery will come to light,” he said.

The bodies of former Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganopati Chakrabarty, 65; his wife, Pritilata Chakrabarty, 50; their daughter, Agami Chakrabarty Prarthi, 25; and their 12-year-old son, Priyom Chakrabarty, a Class 5 student of Rangpur Zilla School, were recovered from their home in the Daspara area of the city at around 11:00pm last Saturday.

Police said all four had been strangulated to death.

Two people were arrested early Sunday in connection with the killings. They are Mugdha Das, 23, and Siddhartha Das, 19. Both are from the Daspara area of the city.

At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Mabud said the four were killed were killed after Ganopati had allegedly prevented the accused from taking yaba on the rooftop of the house.