Twin murder baffles North Bengal

Darjeeling, August 4, 2017: A twin murder left Phulbari baffled on Thursday. A 30 year old lady and her 10 year old daughter were brutally murdered while her 7 year old son and husband had a narrow escape.

The incident occurred at Patkelgunj under the Phulbari Gram Panchayat 1 in the Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal. According to police sources Avinandan Saha, a businessman had closed shop and gone up to his residence at around midnight on Wednesday.

Saha runs a wholesale grocery store in a two storied building. While his shop is located on the ground floor, he resides with his family on the floor above. At around 1:20 am Saha's neighbours heard him scream for help. They came out to inquire as to what was wrong. Soon a large crowd had gathered outside Saha's house.

Neighbours stated that they saw Saha standing on the balcony shouting for help. He claimed that a group had entered his house and murdered his family members. They had escaped after committing the heinous act.

Saha even claimed that he had seized a chopper from the assailants but could not stop their escape. The neighbours then urged him to come down. Meanwhile the police were also called in.

Saha then climbed down from the balcony onto the boundary wall and then to the ground floor. He held a chopper in his hand. His head, face and legs bore marks of injury.

Police had to force open the main door of the house to enter. In the bedroom they found the dead bodies of Rita Saha (30) and her daughter Payel (10 years) laying in a pool of blood on the floor. In the adjacent room her 7 year old son was found. He was in a state of shock and trauma.

Saha has been admitted at a private nursing home in Siliguri, 10km from Phulbari. His son has been handed over to the relatives. "There have been two murders in a family and we are investigating the case" stated Achinta Gupta, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Siliguri Metropolitan Police.

Police sources state that many lose ends that need to be tied up. Saha's claim does not explain the motive behind the murders as the assailants did not touch the Rs. 5 lakh cash and gold ornaments that was in the room.

It is also unexplained as to how they had entered the house and the way through which they left after committing the crime. The CCTV footage of the building at the time of the alleged assault does not show any outsiders. The neighbours had not seen anyone leave the house.

Saha who is under treatment the nursing home will be interrogated by the police soon. Gautam Deb, MLA, Dabgram Phulbari Assembly constituency and also the West Bengal Tourism Minister also visited the site of the murder. He assured the residents that the culprits would be brought to book soon.

OneIndia News