Barguna triple death investigation stalls amid police procedural hurdles and family suspicion
Photo Collected
Five days after the discovery of the bodies of cleaning worker Iti Rani and her two young daughters at the Barguna District Council bungalow, the family remains unable to file a formal case. The victims’ relatives have alleged that they are facing significant administrative obstacles from law enforcement, with police officials reportedly insisting that they change the plaintiff for the case.
According to family members, when Iti Rani’s husband, Dulal Chandra Biswas, attempted to file a complaint at the Barguna Sadar police station last Saturday, the officer-in-charge (OC) refused to register the case with him as the plaintiff. Instead, the family claims they were pressured to name the victim’s mother as the complainant. To date, police have only registered a case of unnatural death, leaving the circumstances surrounding the triple fatality unaddressed.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Addressing the allegations, Barguna Sadar police station OC Abdul Alim stated that the request for a change in the plaintiff was a procedural precaution. He argued that in cases involving domestic death, there is a risk that the spouse could be implicated, and suggesting a blood relative—such as a mother or sibling—is a standard investigative measure to ensure the integrity of the process. He added that the family did not return to the station after the initial discussion.
The victims’ family, however, remains skeptical, suggesting that authorities are attempting to obfuscate the investigation. Milun Chandra Biswas, the brother-in-law of the deceased, accused the police of creating delays and withholding evidence, specifically regarding CCTV footage. Furthermore, the family expressed alarm over reports that district council officials and the bungalow’s caretaker are now claiming they did not recognize Iti Rani, despite her having been employed as a cleaner at the facility for the past two months.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Dulal Chandra Biswas recounted that his wife had been working at the bungalow for a monthly wage of 3,000 taka, a position she secured through an acquaintance and the caretaker, Liton. He questioned how his wife could have worked at the location for two months if current staff are now denying her employment. He and other relatives fear that the denial of her status is a deliberate attempt to cover up a more sinister reality behind the deaths.
The bodies of 34-year-old Iti Rani and her daughters, 11-year-old Aradhya and 3-year-old Anuradha, were recovered last Wednesday from the third floor of the District Council bungalow. Following an inspection of the scene, Barguna Superintendent of Police (SP) Kudrat-e-Khuda initially characterized the incident as a suspected suicide, citing that the room was locked from the inside and that sleep-inducing medication was found near the bodies.
The victims’ family has strongly disputed the SP’s premature assessment, arguing that such claims were made before the completion of the inquest and formal autopsy reports. They maintain that the incident may have been a premeditated homicide and are calling for an impartial, transparent investigation to determine the truth behind the deaths of the mother and her two children.
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