A day after a car crash resulted in the discovery of three bodies in a three-storey building in Kolkata’s Tangra, the police on Thursday are investigating multiple angles, including the family’s business dealings and the whereabouts of the vehicle before the accident.
The post-mortem examination of the two women and a minor is also underway at NRS Hospital, and the police are hopeful that the preliminary report will provide some clarity into their deaths.
The bodies of Romi Dey, 44, Sudeshna Dey, 39, and Priyamvada Dey, 14, were discovered inside their house on Atal Sur Road on Wednesday following a car accident involving the men in their family.
Pranay Dey, 44, who was in the car that met with the accident, allegedly told the police the mishap was intentional, a “suicide attempt”, and that three of his family members – his wife, teenage daughter, and sister-in-law – had already killed themselves. Pranay, his brother Prasun, 42, and son Pratip, who were injured in the accident, were admitted to Ruby General Hospital.
Pranay and Prasun run a leather glove manufacturing unit that employed approximately 200 workers. The family reportedly enjoyed a comfortable, upper-middle-class lifestyle and also owns property in Bolpur, the police have learnt. Their father Pradip Dey passed away a few years ago.
According to sources, the family had recently faced financial pressure, including an incident related to a bounced cheque for ₹23 lakh, and accumulated debts, though they had reportedly cleared most of it. A business partner of the Dey brothers reported speaking with Prasun on Saturday but was unable to reach him the following day after learning about the bounced cheque.
The police are questioning a woman whose name appears alongside the two brothers on their GST list as well as the factory workers.
While the police confirmed that no suicide note was found at the scene, the car involved in the accident, believed to be the family’s, left the residence at 12.51 am and was involved in an accident around 3 am. The nearly three-hour gap between the car’s departure and the accident remains unaccounted for, the police said.
“The bounced cheque, their financial woes, the missing hours, and the lack of a suicide note all contribute to the complexity of the case. Our probe is on,” a police official said.
Meanwhile, Romi Dey’s father has filed a murder case under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against unknown persons. Rupesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), confirmed the development.