Questions over Rangpur quadruple murder need verification: ASK
ASK said the transfer of the case to the Detective Branch provides an opportunity to investigate all aspects afresh impartially and professionally.
Questions surrounding the police account of the killing of four members of a family in Rangpur should not be dismissed as baseless or misleading and need to be verified through investigation, according to human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).
The organisation also called for the police explanation to be independently verified using physical, digital and forensic evidence.
The rights body made the observations in a statement today 27 (August), after a two-member team conducted a fact-finding visit on 24 and 25 August.
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Police recovered the bodies of retired teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty and their two children Agami and Ayush Chakraborty from their home in Rangpur city's Machuapara area on the night of 22 August.
Two suspects – Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das – were later arrested. Police also gave a preliminary account of the possible motive and sequence of events.
However, ASK said discrepancies have emerged between the police account and information provided by relatives, local residents and media reports. These should be verified through scientific analysis of material, digital and forensic evidence, it said.
Citing Pritilata's sister Puja Chakraborty, the rights body said she spoke to her sister around 11:30pm on the night of the incident. The following day, she found that a call had been made from her sister's phone to her around 2:40am, which she could not answer.
Investigators should determine who made the call, how long it lasted, where the phone was located and when the family members' phones were switched off, ASK asked. They should also establish whether the call timing is consistent with the police account of the killings.
According to police, the accused allegedly stayed at the house for some time after the killings, ate food and took showers. ASK said investigators should clarify whether forensic samples were collected from the scene and whether tests found traces linking the suspects to the house.
The accused have reportedly made confessional statements before a court, but ASK said the investigation should not rely solely on confessions. Independent physical evidence, CCTV footage, call detail records, DNA and other forensic findings should be given due importance.
ASK also called for verification of when, how and by whom the house's electricity connection was disconnected and whether it was linked to the suspects' movements or the timing of the killings.
