Mounting inconsistencies between official statements, medical findings, and physical evidence have sparked widespread skepticism in Rangpur over the police investigation into the brutal quadruplet murder of retired schoolteacher Ganapati Chakraborty and three members of his family. Community leaders, educators, local citizens, and women’s rights campaigners have openly rejected the law enforcement narrative, describing the official account as a fabricated script that flies in the face of logic.
During a series of protest rallies, human chains, and road blockades staged across the city on Monday, demonstrators expressed deep outrage over the arrests made by the police. Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud had earlier announced at a press conference on Sunday that two local youths, Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, were arrested as the sole perpetrators. According to the police, the pair allegedly strangled the four family members after being confronted for smoking yaba (a methamphetamine derivative) on the roof of the Chakraborty residence on Thursday night.
The police account detailed an extraordinary sequence of events: after committing the murders, the suspects allegedly took showers in the house, ate cucumbers and dates from the refrigerator, washed their mobile phones in detergent-infused water to destroy evidence, and remained inside the property until Friday afternoon.
Former and current students of Rangpur Zilla School, where Ganapati Chakraborty taught for decades, along with local activists, vehemently rejected this account. Former teacher Shafiar Rahman pointed out the sheer implausibility of two drug-dependent youths carrying out four murders consecutively and calmly residing at the crime scene for hours afterward. Cultural activist and alumnus Dollar asserted that the community refuses to accept that a revered educator and his fifth-grade child were slain over a simple dispute regarding drug abuse, warning that the city would be brought to a complete standstill unless the genuine motives and culprits were exposed within three days.
Adding weight to the public outrage, Rumana Zaman, President of the Rangpur District Mahila Parishad, delivered a sharp critique of the investigation, stating that while law enforcement had drafted a dramatic script, it remained utterly unconvincing to the public. She questioned the physical probability of two individuals subduing and killing four people in quick succession without raising an alarm or fleeing immediately.
The official narrative has been further undermined by discrepancies between the statements of the police commissioner and the forensic examiner. Commissioner Mabud claimed at his press conference that victim Agami Chakraborty suffered a broken jaw and displaced eyeballs during the struggle. However, Dr Bablu Kishor Biswas, Assistant Professor of Forensic Medicine at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, publicly contradicted these assertions on Monday. Dr Biswas stated that there was no evidence of a fractured jaw or dislodged eyes, noting that while preliminary indications point to asphyxiation, final confirmation awaits detailed forensic analysis.
Furthermore, initial police and CID hypotheses suggested that chemical agents or acid had been used to disfigure the victims’ faces. Dr Biswas refuted this, clarifying that no chemical burns were found on the bodies. He explained that the severe facial discoloration and grotesque appearance were the natural result of tissue decomposition due to the elapsed time between death and discovery.
In light of these contradictions, the Rangpur City Citizens’ Committee has called for a judicial inquiry, with member secretary Palash Kanti Nag voicing concern that the investigation is being deliberately diverted. Amid growing outcry, the case has officially been transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police, with DB Inspector Zinnat Ali taking over as the lead investigating officer.
Deputy Commissioner of DB Sanatan Chakraborty confirmed the transfer, noting that while the confessions of the two suspects in court aligned with the initial press conference statements, new information has emerged that requires rigorous examination. As the Detective Branch assumes control, the residents of Rangpur remain steadfast in demanding an impartial, thorough investigation that uncovers the true masterminds behind the tragedy.
