Partially blind man kills wife, begs for 9 wks to dodge cops
Times of India | 1 April 2025
12 Kolkata: A partially blind man was arrested on Sunday for the murder of his estranged wife on Jan 23. The victim, Chhaya Sardar (34), was found murdered in her rented residence in Joka's Diamond Park. Cops had been on a nine-week-long manhunt and had even announced a Rs 50,000 reward for information about the prime suspect, Kartik Das. The accused had taken to begging — especially at Howrah and Sealdah stations as his sight failed.
Das, was apprehended from Howrah station premises and reportedly confessed to his relationship with the deceased, according to police. Cops said he was working as a grade-4 staff member at a local hospital before "circumstances forced him to take to begging as his eyesight gradually failed him".
Sardar had started living at the Diamond Park residence barely six days before she was killed.
DC (SWD-Behala) Rahul De said Das, partially blind with a vision of barely 1-2 m, was upset when his wife reportedly got involved in an affair. As failing eyesight forced Das to take to begging, Chhaya left him.
Cops are investigating if Das managed to convince Chhaya to stay with him again, in the hope of taking revenge.
"After the murder, Das went into hiding for a few days before beginning to beg at Howrah station again. Cops had by then fixed up his role in the murder using technical and source information. With Das using no phone, we found it difficult to track him. We then used posters and started sending his photograph on WhatsApp to common contacts. Finally, a couple on their way to Howrah, who knew both the victim and the accused, called us on Sunday to say they had seen him at Howrah station. We informed Howrah cops and raided the station before arresting Das," said an officer.
The case was initially complicated by questions surrounding the victim's identity since she had rented the property claiming she would live there with her husband, presenting an Aadhaar card identifying her as Molina Das. However, later that evening, a man approached the police stating the deceased was his daughter, Chhaya Sardar, a domestic help from Behala's Shilpara area.
Investigators recovered several pieces of evidence from the scene, including a bloodstained sharp weapon, the victim's phone, and a bottle of alcohol. Police dogs were also deployed in the initial probe.
Neighbours reported that a man frequently visited the victim's room but had disappeared after the incident. The landlord identified this visitor as Das, whom the victim had introduced as her husband.
The investigation revealed the Aadhaar card used to rent the property was likely fraudulent, adding another layer of complexity to the case.
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