Decomposed bodies of widow, daughter found in Burdwan home
The Statesman | 5 September 2025Shikha Bhattacharya (56) and her married daughter Trisha Bhattacharya (30) were staying together at their home in the Lakhipur Math locality of the district town after the death last year of Trisha’s father, Prof. Swapan Bhattacharya, who had retired from Arambagh College in Hooghly three years ago. He had succumbed to an intestinal disorder, police sources said.
Neighbours recalled that they had not seen the mother and daughter for the last six days or so. Last night, one of them went to invite the duo for a ceremony, but didn’t get any response despite multiple knocks on the door. He did, however, notice something strange. “I was getting an unpleasant smell emanating from inside the house, and it was difficult to breathe normally.”
He said the door to the house was locked from inside. “I informed others and we suspected something grossly wrong.” He further related that the police were called immediately. On arrival, they broke open the door and found the decomposed bodies of the mother and her daughter lying side by side on a bed.
The bodies have been shifted by the police to Burdwan Medical College & Hospital for autopsy. No suicide note has been found as yet, and the police are yet to ascertain the actual reason for their deaths. It is suspected that the duo took their own lives over a major problem they could not solve.
The house has been sealed and unnatural death cases have been initiated. A thorough probe is on, the police said.
