Kolkata trolley bag murder: Police recreate crime scene, probe accused’s past offences

Kolkata Police have uncovered crucial details in the Kumartuli trolley bag murder case, revealing that the crime was allegedly planned to seize the property and assets of the victim, Sumita Ghosh. Investigators reconstructed the crime scene at Bireshpalli, Madhyamgram, questioning accused Falguni Ghosh and her mother, Aarati Ghosh, while collecting forensic evidence. New findings indicate that Falguni attempted to gain control over Sumita’s property, including ₹3.5 lakh in her bank account and gold jewellery worth 70 bharis stored in a bank locker.

According to police sources, after murdering Sumita on Sunday by striking her head with a brick, Falguni first changed the PIN of Sumita’s ATM card. She then withdrew ₹25,000 from Sumita’s account and visited Burrabazar, where she purchased a trolley bag to transport the body. The accused also went to a jewellery store in Burrabazar and placed an order for gold worth ₹50,000 before returning home to load the corpse into the trolley bag. Police are examining CCTV footage from ATM kiosks and shops to verify her movements.

Investigations revealed that Sumita, a resident of Jorhat, Assam, had been living separately from her husband for five years. Falguni, who was in the process of filing for divorce from her own husband, Shubhankar Ghosh, also a Jorhat resident, allegedly saw an opportunity to take over Sumita’s assets. Both women were childless, leading to speculation in the family over who would inherit Sumita’s jewellery and savings. The dispute reportedly escalated on Sunday afternoon, leading to the murder. Police suspect premeditation based on Falguni’s post-murder actions, including financial transactions and the purchase of disposal materials.

Following the murder, Falguni and Aarati traveled from Madhyamgram to Kumartuli Ghat, where they were caught attempting to dispose of the body. Train tickets recovered from the Sealdah-Hasnabad line suggest they boarded from Kazi Para station. Police are also searching a Bireshpalli pond where the cleaver used to dismember Sumita’s body was allegedly discarded. Locals at the ghat alerted authorities after noticing the women struggling with the heavy suitcase. When questioned, they initially claimed it contained a dead pet. The accused remain in custody as forensic and post-mortem reports are awaited to confirm further details.