In a horrific incident in Kolkata’s posh Tollygunge neighbourhood, a woman in her 30s was brutally murdered by her brother-in-law, Atiur Rahman Laskar, after she rejected his romantic advances. The 35-year-old construction worker allegedly strangled, beheaded, and dismembered the woman before dumping her body parts in various locations.
The discovery of her severed head on Friday morning set off a chain of investigations that led to the uncovering of the rest of her body by the following day.
The woman, a domestic helper, had been avoiding Laskar for some time after rejecting his repeated proposals. Disturbed by her rejection, Laskar took matters into his own hands. On Thursday evening, after she finished her work, he forcibly took her to an under-construction building. There, he killed her, beheaded her, and dismembered her body into three pieces. He then disposed of the parts in a garbage vat behind a multi-storey building and near a pond.
The severed head was discovered by locals in the Regent Park area, concealed in a polythene bag. Sniffer dogs and CCTV footage were used by the police to track down the whereabouts of Laskar. Investigators also examined the body parts found in the garbage vat and near the pond. The evidence collected from the scene helped the police trace Laskar back to his village in Basuldanga, Diamond Harbour, where he was arrested.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Bidisha Kalita confirmed that the woman had blocked Laskar’s phone number and had been avoiding him for some time, fuelling his rage. Authorities also revealed that the initial investigation indicated the crime took place within 12 hours of the head being discovered. Bloodstains and injury marks on the head, as well as forensic evidence from the garbage vat, were critical in solving the case.
The murder has shocked the local community and raised concerns about the prevalence of domestic violence and harassment. Laskar has confessed to the crime, detailing his actions and motives to the authorities. As the investigation continues, questions remain about how the situation escalated to such brutal violence. The woman’s family and those who knew her are left to mourn the tragic loss of a life taken too soon.
