Couple found hanging at Ramprasad Nagar residence

Kolkata: Bodies of a couple were recovered in hanging condition from their residence at Ramprasad Nagar area near Belgharia under Nimta police station on Thursday morning.

The duo have been identified as Asish Mukhopadhyay and his wife Tumpa. They had been married eight years back and were childless.

Preliminary investigation by the police has revealed that Mukhopadhyay had lost his job some years ago and was compelled to take loan from a number of persons. His wife, who was an LIC agent, was running the family, but in recent times was unable to eke out a proper living.

The body of the duo was first spotted by one Goutam Mukhopadhyay, who lives in the ground floor of the same building. He had entered the room of the couple, when there was no response after repeated knocks at the door.

The door was not bolted from inside and as he entered the room, he found Mukhopadhyay hanging from the ceiling. There were blood stains on the floor. The body of his wife Tumpa was found hanging from the fan in the same room.

He immediately raised a cry that alerted the other residents of the building and the people in the neighbourhood.

Amit, the younger brother of Mukhopadhyay, lives with his wife Rikta on the second floor of the same building. Though Amit had left for some work, Rikta was attracted by the cry and came down to find the duo hanging. Officials from Nimta police station rushed to the spot and sent the bodies for post-mortem.

"Our primary enquiry has revealed that the family was in huge debt. They were being pressurised for repayment, which probably triggered the act. Mukhopadhyay had cut the veins in his hand and then hanged himself," a senior police official said. He had also written the names of the persons to whom he owed money, on the floor with blood. The police have also recovered a suicide note from the room.

"We are not too sure whether Mukhopadhyay's wife committed suicide, or was forcibly hanged by her husband," a police officer said.

The sleuths have learnt that there was a family dispute and Asish's mother was living elsewhere as a result of it. A court case was also pending in this regard and this had also led to depression of the deceased.

"We are also examining whether this family dispute has any link with the deaths," an officer said.