Rangpur Correspondent:

Police have solved the shocking murder of a retired schoolteacher and three members of his family in Rangpur city, revealing the victims were killed after confronting two neighbors who had trespassed onto their rooftop to consume yaba, officials announced Sunday.

Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud disclosed the details during a press conference following the arrest of the two primary suspects, maternal cousins Mugdho Das and Siddhartha.

The deceased were identified as Ganapati Chakraborty Jewel, 65, a retired teacher at Rangpur Zilla School; his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty Bhola, 50; their daughter, Prarthi Chakraborty, 25, a master’s student; and their 12-year-old son, Priyam Chakraborty.

A Tragic Escalation:

According to police, the incident unfolded late Thursday night when Mugdho and Siddhartha climbed onto the rooftop of the family’s two-storey residence in the Machuapara area to use drugs.

Hearing noises above, Ganapati went upstairs to investigate, wearing a traditional towel around his neck. When he confronted the duo, the suspects allegedly grabbed the towel and used it to strangle him on the spot.

Alarmed by the commotion, Pritilata rushed upstairs but was ambushed and killed on the staircase. Her daughter, Prarthi, followed shortly after and tried to fight off the attackers before being strangled with a rope.

The suspects then targeted 12-year-old Priyam, killing him to eliminate any potential witnesses. Police noted that Siddhartha’s younger brother frequently played with Priyam, leading the suspects to fear the boy would identify them. Commissioner Mabud became visibly emotional while recounting the child’s murder during the briefing.

Staged Scene Misled Early Investigations:

The crime came to light on Saturday night after worried relatives visited the home, found it locked, and spotted ransacked furniture through a window. Emergency services were called to break open the entrance, leading to the discovery of the bodies: Ganapati on the rooftop, his wife and daughter on the staircase, and Priyam under a bed inside a bedroom.

While severed power lines and overturned wardrobes initially pointed toward a robbery gone wrong, investigators confirmed the suspects intentionally staged the home to mislead law enforcement and throw off the investigation.

Chilling Behavior After the Crime:

Police confirmed both suspects lived in the immediate neighborhood and knew the family well, routinely addressing Ganapati as “sir” and his wife as “kaki” (aunt).

In a chilling detail, investigators revealed that after committing the murders, the suspects remained inside the house for hours—where they bathed, ate food from the family kitchen, and continued using drugs before fleeing the scene.

Authorities confirmed that joint teams from the Detective Branch and forensic units are completing evidence collection as formal charges are prepared.