File pictures of Subhankar (left) and Debapriya

Malda, Dec. 26: Englishbazar police have submitted a chargesheet in the double murder case in which two youths stabbed to death a widow and her younger daughter at their residence in Regent Park here on September 26.

“We have submitted the chargesheet to the district court on December 24 against Subhankar Sarkar and Debapriya Pal, the two accused. We have submitted blood sample reports indicating that the blood on their clothes was that of the victims. The findings of the fingerprint experts have also been submitted,” said Malda police chief Satyajit Banerjee.

The bodies of Maya Sarkar, who taught in Krishnamohan High School, and her daughter Anusha, a student of mathematics honours in Malda College, were found on the morning of September 27 by their maid Saraswati Sarkar.

The police picked up Subhankar, 23, and Debapriya, 19, two days later, having zeroed in on the duo after going through the text messages in Anusha’s mobile phone and from events narrated by the victims’ relatives.

The murder weapon, a knife, was fished out of a drain in the presence of the two youths on October 2.

Investigating officers said Anusha had an affair with Subhankar, a school dropout, till about a year ago. “She later rejected the youth and was going around with someone else. Subhankar threatened her and told her that she would be in danger if she did not return to him,” one of the officers added.

The police have submitted the names of Anusha’s college friends who were witness to Subhankar’s threats. Ananya, Anusha’s elder sister who is doing her post-graduation in physics in Jadavpur University has also been made a witness.

Maya Sarkar’s husband Hem, who was the deputy inspector of schools of Malda district, died three years ago. With Ananya studying in Calcutta, Maya and her younger daughter used to stay in their Regent Park house alone.

The investigating officers said on September 26, Subhankar and his friend Debapriya, a student of political science, got hold of a knife and went to the Sarkar residence at 8pm when Maya was alone at home. Anusha had gone for private tuition.

“The two youths overpowered the woman, tied and gagged her and slit her throat. Then they waited for Anusha. When the college girl returned after an hour, she, too, met the same fate. They murderers left the house after midnight,” an officer said.

The additional public prosecutor of the district court, Krishnaranjan Sarkar, said the evidence presented in the chargesheet was too strong for the defence to punch holes in it.

“The forensic and fingerprint reports are very strong. They should help the judges give the murderer’s exemplary punishment,” Sarkar said.

The youths are in jail custody. The police said both had moved the high court for bail, but their plea was rejected.