The Gurudham Temple at Kankurgachhi. (Below): Sanghita Roy, one of the victims. Pictures by Pabitra Das

A man stabbed two monks — both women — to death and injured a third before being fatally beaten himself in a temple at Kankurgachhi, in north Calcutta, on Wednesday evening.

The evening prayers had just ended and the bells were still tolling at Gurudham Temple when Kalipada Das walked in and strode straight up to the second floor and attacked three monks — Sanghita Roy, 50, and Dulu Dutta, 53, and Ananda Kamal Brahmachari, 52 — with a chopper.

Both Sanghita, foster daughter of the founder of the temple, Swami Swarupananda Paramhansa, and her assistant Dulu died of multiple stab injuries, while Brahmachari was battling for his life at a private hospital till late on Wednesday.

Though most of the worshippers who had come for the evening prayers had left by then, some resident monks and devotees caught hold of Das, who was beaten to death.

“It appears that the attack was deliberate and the person entered the temple with an intention to kill the deceased. It is too early to conclude why Das attacked the monks,” Jawed Shamim, the deputy commissioner of police (detective department), told Metro.

Since the assailant had his face covered with a red cloth and he attacked the head of the 50-year-old institution, the police are sure that Das came to the campus with a plan.

The cops have also learnt that the monks were apprehending an attack.

“We had received some threat calls in recent times after some incidents and that’s why we had got 25 dogs on the campus as a safety measure,” said Ratan Dutta, a resident monk. He, however, declined to state the nature of the incidents and the threat calls.

“We are gathering information on the temple authorities to figure out whether they had any dispute with any other organisation,” said a police officer.

According to the preliminary investigation conducted by the officers of Phoolbagan police station, Das entered the six-storey campus, spread over 10 cottahs, which houses a temple and quarters for resident monks, during the evening prayers.

From the ground-floor prayer hall, he went to the second floor, where monks have living rooms. Das entered Sanghita’s room and lashed out at her with the knife. Hearing her screams, Dulu rushed to her rescue, but she too was attacked.

“Both women were crying for help and as Anandakamal came rushing through the corridor, Das intercepted him and stabbed him in the abdomen and chest,” said the officer.

By that time, a group of 15 to 20 other monks and devotees had rushed to the second floor and grabbed Das, who was trying to flee. Das died while he was being taken to NRS Medical College and Hospital.

Das had apparently tried to enter the temple in the afternoon but was not allowed in.

“He started visiting the temple from Poila Baisakh… We are trying to figure out why he was intercepted while entering the temple,” said Shamim.

“We will examine the monks and other devotees of the temple tomorrow,” he said.