Several details have emerged from the murder scene and its surroundings in Bhowanipore, south Kolkata.
The Telegraph lists some of them and police’s inferences
Gunshot: A 7mm bullet-head was found in Rashmita Shah’s head. Initially, the bullet mark was not visible because she was found lying on the floor face-up and the killer had covered her with a bedsheet. Later, when the police turned her body over, the bullet hole was seen.
The police said the use of a gun suggested that the assailant or assailants had come armed and prepared for the “operation”.
Bullet wound on the back of head: The bullet had hit Rashmita from the back, the police said. Her body was found near the main door of the house. Her husband Ashok’s body was found in one of the rooms.
An investigator said Rashmita’s body, near the main door, and the bullet wound at the back of her head suggested the possibility that she had tried to rush out of the house after her husband was attacked. But the assailant had possibly pulled the trigger before she could make it and she collapsed near the main door.
A glass of water: A daughter of the couple was the first to find a glass of water in the kitchen. The police said the glass of water suggested the presence of a person the victims knew and had offered water to.
Entry into the house: The couple who, according to a close friend, did not allow strangers to enter their home and would usually speak from the gate or the window, had allowed the assailant into their home.
“I have known the family for the last three decades. They were extremely cautious about who was entering their house. They used the peeping hole or the window to talk to strangers and would never allow in anyone they did not know,” said a neighbour.
The police said this was a clear indication that the assailant was someone the couple knew.
Defunct CCTV: The road that leads to the Harish Mukherjee Road building where the Shahs lived is covered by two CCTV cameras.
However, the police during the investigation have found that both cameras have been defunct for 15 days.
“Initially, we were surprised that who would be foolish enough to commit a crime in a house that is so well-covered by CCTV cameras. But today we learned that the cameras are defunct. This could also mean that the killer was aware of the fact and therefore committed the offence without worrying about being captured by the cameras,” said an officer.
Advance payment: Shah, who was trying to sell his house, had taken an advance of around Rs 1 lakh from a prospective buyer who wanted to use this house as a godown, a family friend said.
The money was taken through two cheques in May, sources said.
However, Shah had not encashed the cheques.
“This could mean that he might be rethinking his decision. He was possibly weighing the offer of a second prospective buyer,” an officer said.
