Body in suitcase case: Mother-daughter duo get life term for murder

Kolkata: A mother-daughter duo from Madhyamgram, arrested in February for murdering a woman and attempting to dump her body in Kolkata’s Kumortuli area, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the 7th Additional District and Sessions Judge, Barasat.

The convicts—Arati Ghosh and her daughter Falguni Ghosh—were caught red-handed by locals on the morning of February 25 near the Kumortuli ghat while trying to dump a loaded trolley bag into the Hooghly River. When residents forced them to open the bag, they discovered a woman’s body inside. The two were immediately handed over to the police.

Initially, a murder case was registered at North Port Police Station under Kolkata Police. Subsequent investigation revealed that the victim, Sumita Ghosh, was a relative of the accused and had been murdered at their rented home in Bireshpally, Madhyamgram. The case was later transferred to Madhyamgram police station under the Barasat Police District on February 27.

CCTV footage from several locations showed the duo transporting the trolley—first on a cycle van to Doltala, then by taxi to Kumortuli. Investigators determined that the murder took place on February 23, and the following day the accused purchased a large trolley bag from Burrabazar, using the victim’s debit card.

Police said the motive behind the crime was property dispute. To strengthen the case, investigators used gait pattern analysis and route mapping via Google Maps. The chargesheet was filed on May 25 and statements of 32 witnesses were recorded during trial.

On October 31, the court found Arati and Falguni Ghosh guilty, and on Monday sentenced them to life imprisonment.