Police are investigating the withdrawal of around Tk 15 lakh from the provident fund of retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakrabarty, who was killed along with members of his family in Rangpur city’s Machuapara area. Ganapati had withdrawn the money just 22 days before the killings.
Although police held two press briefings following the August 21 killings, the withdrawal was not mentioned at either briefing.
Information about the fund withdrawal later emerged from the victim’s relatives and former colleagues at Rangpur Zilla School.
According to police sources and the Rangpur treasury office, a bill amounting to Tk 14,92,044 from Ganapati’s provident fund was cleared on July 30, and he collected the cheque within a couple of days.
Rangpur Zilla School headmaster Abul Kalam Azad told The Daily Star that Ganapati retired on December 31, 2025.
“When I asked him the reason [for the provident fund withdrawal], he [Ganapati] told me that he would spend the money to complete the construction work of the ground floor of his house. Besides, he mentioned that discussions were underway for the marriage of his daughter, Agami Chakrabarty,” the headmaster said.
Bishwajit Chakrabarty, son-in-law of Ganapati’s brother Gopinath Chakrabarty, told The Daily Star, “He [Ganapati] and his family members lived on the first floor of the house and had not finished the ground floor yet. We came to know that he withdrew the money to complete the work on the ground floor.”
However, police could not confirm whether Ganapati had cashed the provident fund cheque or transferred the money to any bank account.
Asked about the money, Sanatan Chakrabarty, deputy commissioner of the Detective Branch (DB) of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, said, “We have not yet found out where the money went. However, police are trying to trace it.”
“During primary interrogation and while giving their confessional statements under Section 164 in court, the accused [Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das] provided information that they had taken only Tk 15,000 from that house,” he added.
Sanatan further said police are seeking remand of the accused for a comprehensive investigation.
The bodies of four members of the family were recovered from Ganapati’s house on the night of August 22.
Alongside Ganapati, 65, other victims are his wife, Pritilata Chakrabarty, 50; their daughter, Agami Chakrabarty, 25; and their son Ayush Chakrabarty, 12, a class 5 student.
According to police, they were killed around 6:00am on August 21.
Ganapati’s elder brother Gopinath filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station the following day.
Police arrested Mughdho Das, 21, and his cousin Siddhartha Das, 19, on August 22. Both later confessed before court, police said.
At a press briefing, police claimed the two killed the family after Ganapati confronted them on the rooftop where they were taking yaba.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/crime-justice/news/where-did-around-tk-15-lakh-go-ganapati-withdrew-it-weeks-family-killings-4260346
