Citizens’ Committee Demands Judicial Inquiry into Rangpur Family Killings Amid Conflicting Police Statements

A citizens’ committee in Rangpur has formally demanded a judicial inquiry into the brutal killing of four members of the same family in the Daspara area of Rangpur city. The committee expressed deep distrust in the ongoing police investigation, pointing to significant discrepancies in official statements as the primary reason for their demand.

Advocate Palash Kanti Nag, general secretary of the Rangpur Metropolitan Citizens’ Committee, highlighted inconsistencies in police accounts concerning the motive, the sequence of events, and the exact location of the murders. He noted that police initially suggested the victim Ganapati Chakrabarty went to the rooftop after hearing sounds related to drug use, but later stated he was on the rooftop for his morning walk. Further contradictions were raised regarding whether the son, Priyam Chakrabarty, was killed while sleeping or awake.

"We are unable to place our trust in the police investigation," Palash stated at a press conference. "If there is a judicial inquiry into the killings, the motive, timing and details of the incident will come to light accurately." Gopinath Chakrabarty, the elder brother of the deceased Ganapati and plaintiff in the case, echoed these sentiments, finding the conflicting police statements confusing and demanding a judicial probe.

Adding to the confusion, a former Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner stated that information about the killings came from confessional statements of the accused. However, the brother of one of the accused refuted this, stating that the victims addressed them differently than what was claimed in the confessions. Local residents and various Hindu organizations have also joined the call for a judicial inquiry, staging human chains to voice their concerns. The investigating officer maintained that the investigation is ongoing and yielding important information, but declined to disclose details in the interest of the probe.

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We are unable to place our trust in the police investigation. If there is a judicial inquiry into the killings, the motive, timing and details of the incident will come to light accurately.