Wives found dead, husbands crash at 100kmph: Kolkata family mystery deepens as police reject 'suicide pact'

A tragic and mysterious case has shaken Kolkata, where a high-speed car crash led police to a shocking discovery, a home in Tangra where three women were found dead. What seemed like a simple accident has now turned into a complex case involving possible murder, suicide, and financial troubles, a TOI report revealed.

A high-speed crash and a shocking revelation

The events began early on Wednesday morning at 3:35 AM when a sedan carrying Prasun Dey (48), his younger brother Pranay Dey (44), and Pranay’s teenage son Pratip (14) crashed into a pillar at 100 kmph near the Avishikta crossing. Miraculously, all three survived and were taken to the hospital.

However, hours later, from his hospital bed, Pranay revealed a horrifying truth, three family members, his wife Sudeshna, sister-in-law Romi, and niece Priyamvada, were dead inside their home.

Three women found dead in separate rooms

When police broke open the Dey family's main door, they were met with a grim sight. The three women were found in different rooms, with bloodstains across the house.

The autopsy report revealed chilling details:

• Romi and Sudeshna had their throats slit and their wrists slashed.
• Priyamvada, a 14-year-old schoolgirl, had bruises on her lips and near her nose, with froth at her mouth, suggesting possible poisoning.
• However, forensic experts did not find any traces of poison, making the case even more mysterious.

A family suicide pact?

According to Joint CP (Crime & Traffic) Rupesh Kumar, Pranay confessed that the family had planned to die together. He claimed they had mixed sedatives in payesh (a traditional Bengali dessert) and some also harmed themselves. While the women died, the three men survived and then took off in the car, possibly trying to crash fatally.

Financial troubles and mysterious visitors

Investigators believe that financial struggles may have played a big role in the tragedy. The Deys, once successful businessmen in leather exports, suffered huge losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their company, Protective Leather Gloves Pvt Ltd, had been struggling, with fewer workers and increasing pressure.

A day before the tragedy, several "well-built men" were seen loitering outside their factory, possibly creditors or debt collectors. That same evening, a business partner, Manoj Gupta, visited their home but got no response. CCTV footage later showed the Dey brothers leaving the house around 12:54 AM, looking visibly distressed.

Murder or suicide? Police investigate further

Despite Pranay’s claim of a suicide pact, police are not ruling out foul play. A murder complaint has been filed by Romi’s father against unknown persons.

The crime scene yielded only one penknife, but forensic experts suspect blunt force injuries as well. A homicide squad, forensic team, and mobile DNA unit have gathered evidence from the house.

Police are now trying to reconstruct the timeline between when the family ate the drugged dessert and when the car crash occurred. While neighbours said the Deys rarely fought, CCTV footage of Pranay looking unsteady before leaving the house suggests he may have been under extreme stress.

Inputs from TOI