Tabla player found dead on Howrah train, murder suspected

The body of a man was found wrapped in a bloody sheet in the berth of Down Katihar Express after it reached the railway yard at Howrah station. The deceased, Soumitra Chattopadhyay, a resident of Bali in West Bengal, was a tabla player and teacher associated with Ramakrishna Mission in Katihar, Bihar.

Soumitra boarded the train from Katihar on November 19 at around 10:30 pm, heading to Howrah. His last known interaction was a phone call with his wife during the journey. However, his body was discovered only after the train had moved to the yard for cleaning post-arrival.

The cleaning staff made the grim discovery when pulling back the sheets on the upper berth. Blood was oozing from the victim's body, which bore visible injuries, raising immediate suspicion of foul play. A missing Rs 10,000 in cash, mobile phone, and documents from his belongings has led investigators to suspect a robbery-turned-murder.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) and Eastern Railway Protection Force (ERPF) have launched an investigation. While the case appears to be a murder, further confirmation is awaited pending the post-mortem report. Police are scanning passenger details and CCTV footage to trace the perpetrators.

Family members of the victim described him as a skilled tabla player who had been serving as an instructor at the Ramakrishna Mission in Katihar for over 12 years. They expressed shock and demanded a thorough investigation to bring the culprits to justice.