Police link Rangpur quadruple murder to drug dispute as family members cast doubt on official findings
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RANGPUR — Police in Rangpur have arrested two local men in connection with the brutal murder of a retired schoolteacher and three members of his family, claiming the motive was a dispute over illicit drug use. The victims’ relatives, however, have voiced skepticism regarding the police narrative.
The bodies of Ganapati Chakrabarty, 65, a retired teacher from Rangpur Zila School, his wife Pritilata Chakrabarty, 50, their daughter Agami Chakrabarty, 25, and their 13-year-old son Ayush Chakrabarty were discovered late Saturday at their home in the Kamalkachna area.
Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud stated during a press conference on Sunday that the suspects—Siddhartha Das, 19, and Mugdho Das, 23—confessed to the killings. Police allege the suspects were consuming Yaba, a methamphetamine-based drug, on the roof of the victim’s under-construction home on Thursday night when Ganapati confronted them.
According to police, the suspects murdered the teacher after being spotted, then killed his wife and daughter when they attempted to intervene. The son, Ayush, was subsequently strangled to death in his bedroom. Police further claimed the suspects remained in the house until Friday, consuming food and drugs before staging a robbery to misdirect the investigation.
The victims’ families have publicly rejected these findings. Puja Chakrabarty, the sister of the deceased Pritilata, questioned how two young men could physically overpower and systematically kill four people. Family members and the parents of the suspects also expressed disbelief that the two accused, who are neighbors and acquaintances of the victims, were capable of such a coordinated crime.
Gopinath Chakrabarty, the brother of the late teacher, filed a case with the Kotwali Police Station on Sunday evening against unidentified individuals. Following the formal complaint, police officially arrested Siddhartha and Mugdho, who were already in custody.
The investigation led to the discovery of drug paraphernalia at the scene. Authorities noted that Mugdho worked at a local fish market, while Siddhartha was employed as a jeweler.
The tragedy has triggered public outcry in Rangpur. Students of Rangpur Zila School held demonstrations and a human chain demanding justice, while local political groups, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, organized protest marches, citing concerns over the deteriorating law-and-order situation and the rising prevalence of narcotics in the city.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to reconcile the forensic evidence with the mounting public skepticism surrounding the case.
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