A father who has been charged with the murder of his daughter, wife and sister-in-law broke down while showing police how he smothered his only daughter with a blanket while she was half asleep, police sources said on Wednesday.

Prasun Dey, one of the three survivors of a car crash on EM Bypass on February 19, was taken to his Tangra residence on Wednesday for reconstruction of the triple-murder on February 18.

Two women and a teenage girl were found dead at their Tangra home when police reached the building following the survivors’ statements.

Police sources said the man who had been sitting almost silently at the police station since his arrest on Monday night, could not hold back his tears while showing the police how he smothered his daughter.

“He showed the officers how he used a blanket to smother his daughter. He said that his wife held the legs of the young girl while he smothered her,” said an officer attached to the case.

Priyambada Dey, 14, was found dead on her bed on February 19.

The preliminary post-mortem report had revealed that her death was caused by poisoning. But later, the police said there were injuries on her suggesting resistance and struggle.

According to Prasun’s statement to the police, the only witness to this was his wife, who also died the same day.

“He said his wife Romi tried to kill herself by slashing her wrists, but when she failed, he slashed her wrists and throat to ensure her death. He said he did the same to his sister-in-law Sudeshna,” said an officer familiar with the proceedings during the reconstruction of the crime.

Prasun told the cops that after killing his daughter, wife and sister-in-law, he tried to kill his nephew by first trying to slash his throat and then by smothering him, an officer said.

“According to him, his nephew was swift enough to turn his head just in time and the knife missed his throat by a whisker. He said he tried to smother him with a pillow and when the boy stopped breathing he thought the boy was dead,” the officer said.

The statement matches with what the boy has told the police and the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the police said.

Another officer said Prasun told the cops he killed the three family members between February 18 morning and afternoon. After that, the Dey brothers called their help and a laundry man and asked them not to come that day, the officer said.

After a three-hour visit to the Tangra residence, Prasun was taken back to Tangra police station.

He will be produced before court again on Thursday.

During his earlier court production on Tuesday, Prasun refused legal help and
said he wanted to face legal action without anyone defending him.