Police in Rangpur have changed their initial assessment of the killing of a retired teacher and three members of his family, saying the murders were allegedly triggered by an objection to yaba consumption rather than a robbery.

The bodies of retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, daughter Agami Chakraborty Parthi and son Ayush Chakraborty Priyam were recovered from their home in Machuapara, Rangpur city, on Saturday night.

The house was found locked from outside, while a strong smell of decomposition had reportedly begun to emerge from inside. Local residents alerted the police, after which officers from Kotwali Police Station entered the property and recovered the four bodies.

The discovery initially led investigators to suspect a robbery. Household belongings had been scattered, places where cash and jewellery were believed to have been kept appeared to have been disturbed, and the electricity supply to the house had been disconnected.

Police initially estimated that the killings had taken place two or three days before the bodies were found. They also said, at the early stage of the investigation, that all four victims appeared to have been strangled.

The bodies were found in different parts of the two-storey house. Ganapati Chakraborty’s body was recovered from the rooftop, while those of his wife and daughter were found on the staircase. His son, Priyam, was found underneath a bed in a bedroom. The bodies were later sent to the morgue at Rangpur Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Sanatan Chakraborty, deputy commissioner of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police’s detective branch, said at the time that all four victims had ropes around their necks. Given the condition of the house, investigators initially considered the possibility that the family had been attacked during a robbery, although other possibilities were also being examined.

Relatives raise allegation of extortion

As the investigation continued, the family of the victims raised a different possible motive. Relatives alleged that Ganapati Chakraborty had faced demands for extortion while constructing the house and suspected that the dispute could have been connected to the killings.

Ganapati’s elder brother, Gopinath Chakraborty, said there had been a dispute over an extortion demand during the construction of the house. He believed the disagreement may have led to a planned attack.

Gopinath also questioned the circumstances surrounding the disconnected electricity supply, suggesting that it may have been deliberately cut to make the incident appear different from what had actually happened.

The family became concerned after they were unable to contact any of the four victims. According to Gopinath, the four mobile phones used by the family were all found switched off. The main gate of the house was locked and there was no light inside.

The relatives eventually went to the house and discovered the bodies. At that stage, however, police had not confirmed the alleged extortion dispute as a motive and continued to focus primarily on the possibility of robbery.

Police present a new account

On Sunday afternoon, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud gave a different account at a press conference.

According to the commissioner, the incident began after Ganapati Chakraborty allegedly objected to two men consuming yaba at his home. Police say he was killed first, followed by his wife, daughter and son.

The two men detained in connection with the case were identified as 23-year-old Mugdha Das and 19-year-old Siddhartha Das, both residents of the Machuapara area.

Police allege that the two entered Ganapati’s house through the rooftop of an adjacent building. An argument reportedly followed after Ganapati objected to their yaba consumption, leading to his murder. His wife, daughter and son were subsequently killed, according to the police account.

Police further claim that after the killings, the two suspects showered in the bathroom of the house. They allegedly later sat at the dining table, ate dates and consumed the remaining yaba.

The police said the suspects then took some jewellery from the house and concealed it at an abandoned location. Following their detention, jewellery and other pieces of evidence were reportedly recovered from the place indicated by the two men.

Alleged attempt to stage a robbery

Police now believe that the house was deliberately disturbed to create the appearance of a robbery and divert investigators from the actual motive.

The electricity connection was allegedly disconnected as part of the same effort. The police commissioner also said two mobile phones had been placed in water mixed with detergent, allegedly in an attempt to damage or destroy evidence.

Investigators are now questioning the two detainees and checking the information they have provided against physical evidence collected from the scene.

Police have also said they are examining whether anyone else was involved and whether another motive may have played a role in the killings. The latest account therefore remains part of an ongoing investigation rather than a final judicial finding.

Victims’ family and professional background

Ganapati Chakraborty retired from teaching in December last year. After his retirement, he reportedly ran a homeopathic medical chamber from his residence.

His daughter, Agami Chakraborty Parthi, had completed her master’s examination in the English department of Carmichael College. His son, Ayush Chakraborty Priyam, was a fifth-grade pupil at Rangpur Zilla School.

The case has so far produced three different explanations for what happened. Police initially suspected robbery after finding the house in disarray. The victims’ relatives subsequently pointed to an alleged extortion dispute linked to the construction of the house. Police have now put forward a new theory centred on an alleged confrontation over yaba consumption.

The competing accounts underline the importance of the ongoing investigation. Police say the statements of the detainees, forensic findings and other evidence will need to be assessed before the circumstances and motive behind the deaths can be conclusively established.