CBI arrests Priyanka Chowdhury in software engineer murder case

Kolkata: After 10 years, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested the prime accused in the murder case of a software engineer, Junior Mridha, on Monday night. The accused, Priyanka Chowdhury—who is the daughter-in-law of businessman Balaram Chowdhury—was produced before Barrackpore Court on Tuesday and remanded in CBI custody for 7 days.

Mridha, who used to live at his house in Baranagar, got involved in a relationship with Priyanka through social media. It has been alleged that despite being married, Priyanka—who is also a model— posed as a student and continued the relationship with Mridha. She even went to his house and met Mridha's parents. When the deceased's parents learnt about Priyanka's marital status, they asked Mridha to break ties with the woman. However, Priyanka maintained contact with Mridha.

On July 12, 2011, after Mridha returned home from his office, got a call on from Priyanka. He rushed for her house in Salt Lake. Later that night, Mridha's body was found under the CCR bridge on Belgharia Expressway.

The autopsy report cited a bullet injury on his head. Though Baranagar police station registered a case and started the probe, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the investigation. In 2013, Mridha's father moved the High Court seeking a fair investigation. In 2019, the matter was moved before the court and Lawyer Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee, on behalf of Mridha's father, demanded a CBI probe and it took over the investigation.

During the probe, CBI officials gathered the call details of Priyanaka and Mridha. It was found that on the day of murder, Priyanka spoke to a friend in Tollywood around the time when Mridha was killed.

After the CBI interrogated Priyanka, it found several ambiguities in her statement.