A woman may have been involved in the double murder at Jagacha in Howrah, suspects the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Police found a red coral bangle in Partha Ghosh’s bedroom, where his wife Srabonti and eight-year-old daughter Prapti were found murdered on February 26.

“We questioned Partha and several other people, who said Srabonti never wore a bangle like that. This is very suspicious,” said an investigator. “Circumstantial evidence suggests the presence of a woman inside the house at the time of the crime. We are yet to ascertain who the bangle belongs to. It could be a vital clue,” he added.

The assailants slit Srabonti’s throat and stabbed her several times before stabbing Prapti once and suffocating her with a pillow.

“We are working on several leads. It was a planned murder, carried out professionally,” said a senior officer.

A neighbour had entered the house on the day of the murder. Other residents of the area heard her arguing loudly with Srabonti, though she denied it to the police.

“There are several unanswered questions in the case,” said Howrah police superintendent Niraj Singh.