Rangpur – Questions have intensified over the murder of a retired schoolteacher and three members of his family in Rangpur after the autopsy findings appeared to contradict several details in the police account of the killings.
Forensic physician Dr Babul Kumar Biswas, who conducted the autopsies, told reporters on Monday that all four victims had been strangled. However, he said there was no evidence that any of the victims had suffered a broken jaw.
He also said that the liquid found near the victims’ mouths was not the result of any chemical or acid burn. Rather, it was a natural consequence of decomposition. The burnt-like appearance of the victims’ faces was also attributed to the bodies having remained at the scene for several days.
The findings differ from a statement made by Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Mabud at a press briefing on Sunday. He had claimed that Ganapati Chakraborty’s neck and face had been pulled with a rope so forcefully that his eyes protruded and his jaw was broken.
The police did not clarify how long the bodies had remained at the scene, although the case statement indicated a period of no more than 48 to 52 hours.
Questions over suspects’ movements
Police have accused Siddhartha Das, 19, and Mugdha Das, 23, of killing the family after being confronted while allegedly using yaba on the roof of the house late Thursday night. Police said the suspects subsequently fled with gold jewellery during Friday prayers.
However, statements from the suspects’ families appear to conflict with that timeline.
Siddhartha’s father said his son had dinner at home around midnight on Thursday before going to spend the night at a neighbour’s house. The neighbour’s father, however, denied that Siddhartha had stayed there, saying he had only visited briefly.
Mugdha’s mother said her son had dinner with the family at around 10pm before going to his room. She said she did not know when he left the house.
Dispute over clothing
Questions have also emerged over the clothing worn by Siddhartha when he was taken into police custody.
His father told a media outlet that Siddhartha was wearing only a khaki-coloured vest when he was handed over to police. A similar shirt was later seen on the suspect and a detective police officer, prompting discussion on social media.
DB Deputy Commissioner Sanatan Chakraborty rejected the suggestion, saying the shirt was a common Aarong design that could be owned by thousands of people. He said the suspect had been presented at the police briefing and before the court in the same clothing in which he was taken into custody.
Missing phones and power connection
The police also claimed that the suspects had soaked two mobile phones in water mixed with detergent to remove fingerprints. However, a relative of the victims, Puja Chakraborty, said all four members of the family’s phones had been found switched off.
Police seized two phones but have not provided a clear explanation about the whereabouts of the other two, according to the report.
Another question concerns the electricity supply to the house. Local electrician Ujjal Kumar Barman said the power connection appeared to have been deliberately disconnected rather than being affected by a routine technical fault.
DB Deputy Commissioner Sanatan Chakraborty said police were unaware whether the electricity connection had been deliberately disconnected.
Route to the house also questioned
Police have said the suspects reached Ganapati Chakraborty’s house via the roof of a neighbouring building under construction.
However, retired teacher Himangshu Kumar Mondal, who lives in that building, said he heard no noise or screams on the night of the incident because a fan was running. He said the gate was closed, but the surrounding walls were not particularly high and someone could potentially climb over them.
He also said he did not know the accused.
Ganapati Chakraborty, a former accounting teacher at Rangpur Zilla School, retired in December 2025. He had been living with his family in a two-storey house under construction in the city’s Machuapara area and practised homeopathy after retirement.
His wife Pritilata Chakraborty, 50, daughter Agami Chakraborty, 25, and son Ayush Chakraborty, 12, were also found dead at the house.
The bodies were recovered on Saturday night. Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das were subsequently arrested. The bodies were handed over to the family after autopsies on Sunday and cremated at the Dakkhigang crematorium later that night.
With discrepancies emerging between the police narrative, forensic findings and witness accounts, questions remain over the precise circumstances and motive behind the killings. Further forensic testing, including analysis of samples sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) laboratory, is expected to provide additional evidence.
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