A day after post-mortem examinations confirmed the murder of two women and a teenage girl found dead in their Kolkata home, the police said on Friday that they are now focused on identifying the culprits and motive behind the crime. Investigators are also exploring the possible involvement of the two women’s husbands, who are siblings, or outsiders, according to a police officer.
The autopsy reports revealed that the women, who had cuts on their wrists and throats, succumbed to these ante-mortem injuries (inflicted before death), while the girl died due to poisoning.
The police said two brothers, Pranay and Prasun Dey, resided at 21/C Atal Sur Road, a three-storey house in east Kolkata’s Tangra neighbourhood, along with their wives, Sudeshna, 39, and Romi, 44, respectively, and their children — Pranay’s son and Prasun’s daughter.
On February 19, the bodies of the three female family members were found at their home, while the three male members were injured early that day after their car crashed into a pillar. The men then informed the police about the deaths in their family.
Case registered
A murder case was registered at the Tangra police station the same day under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against unidentified individuals based on a complaint filed by Swapan Kumar Banerjee, the father of Romi.
According to a police officer, the brothers had initially claimed that the family members had entered into a suicide pact, leading them to consume porridge laced with sleeping pills.
“It appears that on the night of February 17, all members of the family attempted to kill themselves. But that attempt was possibly unsuccessful,” a senior police officer said.
According to the police, the two women were killed by inflicting injuries with a paper cutter, while the minor girl succumbed to poisoning. The police have recovered the paper cutter used in the crime.
The post-mortem reports revealed that the time of death was estimated to be 36 to 48 hours prior to the examination, suggesting that the deaths likely occurred between February 17 and 18.
The brothers are out of danger, but the boy is in critical condition. All three are undergoing treatment at a city hospital. A police team will consult with the doctors to determine the “appropriate time” to question the brothers.
“It seems that they were trying to mislead us. They were trying to hide something. We need to question them. Once they are declared fit to talk, our officers will start questioning them,” the officer said.
Evidence collected
The forensic team of Kolkata Police has collected samples from various locations, including the bathroom, washbasin, and the rooms where the bodies of the two women and the girl were found, according to the officer.
The police have collected CCTV footage from the Tangra house, which will “help them understand the family’s activities before the crime occurred”.
The footage will enable investigators to identify who visited the house in the last week and their connections to the family.
The police have seized several items of evidence, including a set of 12 keys, mostly of the Tangra residence, a bloodstained blue button from the car’s back seat, and multiple bloodstains found inside the vehicle, the officer said.
CCTV footage from the crime scene shows Prasun, Pranay, and the boy leaving the house in a car at 12.52 a.m. on February 19. According to the police, all three survivors were under the influence of sedatives.
According to a police officer involved in the investigation, Prasun and Pranay had planned to drop the boy at a hospital before taking their own lives.
“They drove around the city for about three hours, covering various routes including Belghoria Expressway, Dunlop, Kona Expressway, Vidyasagar Setu, AJC Bose Road Flyover, and Park Circus, but the boy refused to get out of the car,” he said.
The car crashed into a pillar near Avishikta Crossing on E.M. Bypass at 3.30 a.m. “The accident took place not far away from their house. We need more information on the vehicle’s speed,” he said.
The police found that the vehicle had no “mechanical glitch” that led to the crash, the officer said.
Financial woes
Neighbours described the family as one of the most affluent in the area and expressed shock at the incident. “We knew nothing. This happened so late in the night. The family had a personal security guard outside their home. We do not know what happened to him,” a neighbour said.
The police investigation revealed that the Dey brothers operated a family-owned glove manufacturing business in the area, employing over 200 people, which was operational until February 18. However, the business had been facing financial difficulties.
A business partner, who visited the crime scene, told mediapersons that his company used to supply raw material to the Dey family’s business, but stopped about a year ago due to non-payment of dues. He claimed that cheques would bounce and payments would be delayed by several months, resulting in outstanding dues of ₹28 lakh-₹30 lakh.
On February 18, repeated calls from factory managers to the family went unanswered, and it was also discovered that the family had sent their driver on leave, the police said.
“We found that the family had taken loans worth crores from six financial institutions and had mortgaged their house. The family’s accountant is currently being questioned,” the police said.
(Those in distress may contact Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention helpline: 011-40769002.)
Published – February 22, 2025 01:22 am IST
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