A shirt worn by one of the suspects arrested in connection with the killing of four members of a family in Rangpur has triggered widespread discussion on social media after a similar-looking shirt was seen on a police officer at the scene when the bodies were recovered.
The similarity has prompted questions among social media users, although the police officer concerned has said that the same type of shirt can naturally be worn by different people.
Police recovered the bodies of former Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife, son and daughter from a locked house in the Machuapara area of Rangpur city on Saturday (22 August). The deaths shocked residents of the area and prompted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings.
On Sunday, Ganapati Chakraborty’s elder brother, Gopinath Chakraborty, filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station against unidentified individuals.
So far, law enforcement agencies have arrested two suspects, identified as Siddhartha and Mugdha. Both are residents of the Machuapara area, according to police.
Shirt similarity fuels online speculation
The shirt issue emerged after footage from the scene began circulating on local social media pages. In live broadcasts recorded on the day the bodies were recovered, a masked man can be seen walking up the staircase of the house wearing a shirt similar to the one later seen on one of the suspects.
The masked individual was identified as an officer of Rangpur Metropolitan Police.
The apparent similarity between the shirts has since become a major talking point online. However, the police officer has dismissed the suggestion that the clothing itself establishes any connection, saying that different people can wear the same type of shirt.
Police have not said that the shirt has any evidentiary significance in the investigation. The discussion on social media therefore remains separate from the evidence being examined by investigators.
Police outline suspects’ account
Police said one of the two suspects attempted to evade the law enforcement operation. After learning that officers were searching for him, he allegedly fled and hid in Tutbagan, an area belonging to the neighbouring Silk Development Board. He was later arrested from Dakhiganj cremation ground, near Tutbagan.
At a press conference on Saturday, the Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner said the two suspects had admitted during preliminary questioning that they were involved in the killings.
According to the account provided by police, Mugdha and Siddhartha bought yaba from a drug dealer on Thursday night and later consumed the drug at the home of a person named Simanto, located near Ganapati Chakraborty’s residence.
Later that night, the two allegedly moved from the rooftop of a building under construction owned by a person named Debu to the rooftop of Ganapati Chakraborty’s house.
Police said that while the two were consuming yaba on the rooftop, Ganapati Chakraborty heard a noise and came upstairs. He was reportedly bare-chested and had a towel around his neck at the time.
Investigators are examining the suspects’ account alongside other evidence to establish exactly how the killings took place and whether anyone else was involved.
The police commissioner expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the case within a short period. He urged the public to acknowledge positive work by the police while also criticising any shortcomings, and asked people to maintain confidence in the investigation.
Suspects give confessional statements in court
At around 5pm on Sunday (23 August), the two suspects were produced before the court. They subsequently gave confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Rafiqul Islam.
Milton Chatterjee, the investigating officer and an inspector in charge of investigation at Kotwali Police Station, confirmed the development.
He said the two young men had admitted responsibility for the killings in their statements before the court. As they had already made confessional statements, there was no further need to seek their remand, he said.
The investigation is continuing to establish the full circumstances of the deaths, the motive behind the killings and whether any other individuals were involved. While the similarity between the shirts has attracted considerable attention online, investigators will ultimately have to rely on evidence gathered from the crime scene, witness accounts, forensic findings and the statements made during the investigation and court proceedings.
