It all started with the family dog’s bark. In a small apartment building in Tollygunge, a family of four started hearing knocks on their door around 10.30pm. The dog started getting agitated, but there was no one at the door.
The family had recently lost a family member, and the son of the deceased member had returned from Gurugram the day before the knocking started.
The family members made a call, virtually. They got in touch with the Detectives of Supernatural aka DOS, a Kolkata-based ‘paranormal investigative group’, through social media and sought help.
The group, comprising Devraj Sanyal (founder), Ishita Das Sanyal (director), Ayush Majumdar (field investigator), and Anirban Das (technical head), say they run “scientific experiments” on such calls of “paranormal” activities. They are full-time detectives, who work on paranormal investigations as ghostbusters. But have they watched Ghostbusters (1984)? "We have seen it, but didn't really like it," said Devraj.
On checking the Tollygunge apartment’s CCTV footage, the DOS sleuths said they captured footage of a misty figure banging at the door at the same time the dog started barking. The grieving son, they said, had scratch marks on his back.
“It is very rare to see such clear footage of a paranormal activity. At first, we thought it was definitely a case of camera malfunction,” said Devraj.
Serendipitiously, the disturbances restarted when the son entered the area where the DOS sleuths were investigating. He had previously had nightmares, and scratch marks on his body that he claimed were from an unknown source.
Devraj said, “The electro-magnetic field (EMF) meters started going haywire when we shared a space with the son. His heart rate, which we were measuring, had gone up to a very high level. We thought he was having a heart attack.”
SLS camera used to detect shadows
The DOS crew said they also spotted two figures (supposedly a man and a woman) while capturing footage from SLS (structured light sensor) cameras. An SLS camera is used to capture humanoid figures and shadows in a dark room.
These electronic “discrepancies” and bodily marks have gone unexplained, per the DOS.
“We can only assume that these are then supernatural,” said the DOS members.
Devraj said, “We are not exorcists, nor are we ojhas. We can only inform whether we find supernatural elements in a case. Most of the time, these are hallucinations, or serious mental illnesses that require professional help. It is very rare to find evidence of what we think is supernatural.”
The DOS has previously worked with Asansol police in debunking claims that a village named Benagram was haunted. Benagram had remained deserted for a length of time. But after the DOS submitted reports that there were no spirits or supernatural disturbances in the area, the village has seen a small revival.
DOS members during an investigation
Others take such claims with a pinch of salt.
Sourav Chakrabarti, state secretary of Paschim Banga Vigyan Mancha, expressed concerns on “ghostbusters” and their work.
“I have one very simple question. The instruments they use to supposedly detect supernatural elements have been invented for specific uses. I used to work for an electric supply company, and we use the EMF meters daily. They are only used to detect electrical leakage and disturbance in magnetic fields. You can buy one yourself and test it out at home,” added Chakrabarti.
An EMF meter used to detect disturbances in electromagnetic fields
The family in Tollygunge – the members requested anonymity – says they feel better after the DOS has “expunged” their house of whoever or whatever was there.
“We have faced no disturbances after DOS detected that there indeed were others in the house,” said the mother. “We have not been disturbed, but our dog still remains ill.”
