Two days before Malobika Maitra was suspected to have been killed, her son had transferred Rs 9 lakhs from his mother’s account.

The police have not yet been able to trace the son, Abhishek, a contractual employee with a bank. Checking the bank statements of the victim and her son, the cops found Rs 19 lakhs in the latter’s account.

Investigating into the case, the cops found that the son had been transferring funds from his mother’s savings account to his own for several months. The victim had retired as a teacher in a well-known south Kolkata school.

“Unless we get to speak to the son, why did he need his mother’s money? Why is he absconding? We suspect he was involved in his mother’s death,” said a police officer.

Later this evening, forensic experts will visit the scene of crime.

The mother-son duo had rented a flat around three years ago on the ground-floor of a stand-alone apartment near the Iris Hospital under Patuli police station’s Vidyasagar Colony area.

A manhunt has been launched for the absconding son.

The victim was found lying dead partially charred with a pillow on her face on Wednesday afternoon after neighbours complained of smoke from the ground floor flat.

The cops tried to get in touch with the son but his phone was switched off.

“None of the neighbours could recall seeing the son leave the premises today. We are looking for him.”