'Could not enter Ganapati's house due to stench of blood'

"I received the news late on Saturday night, August 22, and rushed to Ganapati sir's house the next morning. But the police did not let us inside at that time. I returned. Later, after 12pm, I went to the house again. The stench of blood at Ganapati sir's house was so strong that it was impossible to enter. We cannot understand why everything was cleaned up so quickly."

These words were spoken by Biswajit Ray, acting secretary of the Rangpur Brahman Samaj.

On Wednesday evening, August 26, all the lights at Ganapati's house were suddenly turned off and a water motor was switched on. Water began to drip from the roof. Allegations have been raised that police used water to destroy evidence of the killings.

Partha Chandra Das, elder brother of Siddhartha Chandra Das (one of the two arrested over the murders), alleged that police did not just use water. Around 1am on August 25, several police officers entered Ganapati Chakraborty's home. Later, they took away several bags of items. He claimed there could be a larger motive behind the killings, and that police were trying to cover it up.

Police recovered the bodies of four people from Ganapati Chakraborty's house in the Kamal Kachna Machuapara (Daspara) area around 11pm on August 22. The deceased are Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife Pritilata Chakraborty, daughter Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, and son Ayush Chakraborty Priyam . Police said they were killed around 6am on Friday, August 21.

Ganapati Chakraborty worked as a homeopathic physician after retiring from teaching. In a video, blood is seen scattered beside the body of his son, Priyam, whose face had turned black.

When contacted, Rangpur Metropolitan DB Police Inspector Jinnat Ali, the investigating officer, told Views Bangladesh he was unaware of whether there was blood at Ganapati's house. However, he said the CID had collected saliva samples from the victims' faces.

On Friday afternoon, August 28, leaders and activists of various Hindu organisations held a human chain in front of the Press Club at Jahaj Company Mor in Rangpur city. Speakers at the programme said the real reason behind the killings has still not been disclosed. They expressed that contradictory statements from police at different times have only increased suspicion. During the programme, Biswajit Ray spoke about the stench of blood at Ganapati Chakraborty's house.