MillenniumPost
Bengal

Video footage led to elderly's murder arrest

Kolkata: The murderer of the elderly couple, Dilip Mukherjee (80) and Swapna Mukherjee (72), identified as Md Hamruj Alam, who was arrested from Katihar in Bihar, was traced by police in four CCTV camera footages on July 29 night.

According to the police, in the vicinity of the crime scene, there are several houses where CCTV cameras were installed which helped the officers to crack the case.

Sources informed that during investigation, police found that though there were no CCTV cameras installed by police in the area, but several house owners in the area had installed CCTV cameras.

After two days of the murder, the police collected footages of 20 CCTV cameras including one from a Kolkata Municipal Corporation building.

After scrutinising the footages police listed a few persons, who used to work in the house of the victim and in the vicinity as labourers.

According to a senior police official, investigators suspected that the crime has been committed by someone who is not professional killers.

Also, their prime suspects were the labourers, who had worked in that area, the house of the victim and with the tenants.

After interrogating several labourers, investigators found there were two persons about whom the labour contractor or other labourers had no information.

Meanwhile, the police tracked the tower location of Swapna, which revealed that her mobile phone had been switched off in Renia near Bansdroni. During CCTV footage scrutiny, police zeroed on Alam as an unknown person who was seen walking away with a bag in his hand on July 29 night at 11:03 pm.

During investigation several laboueres were seen in the footage in and around Bansdroni. One of the laboueres identified Alam and told the police where he used to stay. When the police reached his temporary home in Bansdroni they found he had fled the area.

The police managed to get his phone number, which also proved useful to get his picture from the service provider, however , the police found that his phone was switched off.

After the police came to know that he was from Barsoi at Katihar in Bihar, a team went there to find him. After reaching Barsoi, Kolkata Police got in touch with local police who had provided helpful assistance. During search senior Bihar police officials instructed chowkidars (a police designation in Bihar) to gather information about Alam. Within a few hours, the person came to know that Alam was at a local market. As soon as the information arrived, a joint team of Kolkata Police and Bihar Police rushed to the market and surrounded him.

Later, he stated that he had worked in the house for a few days and saw that the elderly couple was dependent on others. Since then Alam had made up his mind that he would rob the couple and kill them. For the success of his plan, Alam made recce of the area for a few days.

During the days he worked at the house and saw that the owner of a paint shop adjacent to the house used to call Swapna and she used come down and lock the door. Otherwise the door used to be open throughout the day.

He was waiting for a chance to loot the house, which he got on July 29 night. When Alam was waiting and thinking how to get in, he saw the paint shop was closed before time and the door of the house was unlocked.

He went inside and found that Swapna was not there. Alam hid himself inside the house and when Swapna came back, he strangled her from behind and killed her. Alam went inside and asked Dilip where he had kept the money and jewellery in the house. After Dilip pointed his fingers to the almirahs, Alam killed him and robbed the valuables and fled. Several things robbed from the houses were also recovered. Alam's wife and brother are missing. It is suspected that they fled the house sensing danger.

Next Story
Share it