1 held in Bengal triple murder case, cops say feud over money the reason

KOLKATA: Police on Tuesday claimed to have cracked the Murshidabad triple murder case that set the political temperature soaring, with the arrest of a mason who was known to the victim family, a top official said.

Utpal Behra was arrested from Sagardighi’s Sahapur area of Murshidabad district on Monday night, a week after the hacked up bodies of Bandhu Prakash Pal, a 35-year-old school teacher, his pregnant wife Beauty, and 8-year-old son Angan were found lying in pools of blood at their home in Jiaganj, superintendent of police Mukesh Kumar said.

The incident had acquired political overtones with the BJP and West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar hitting out at the state government and the RSS claiming the Pal was its supporter. The victims’ family, however, insisted Pal had no political affiliation.

Kumar said the i ncident s t e mmed from a c r i mony between Pal and Behra over financial transactions. According to police, Pal also worked as an insurance agent and 20-yearold Behra had bought two life insurance policies from him.

Behra told his interrogators that Pal gave him the receipt for the first policy but was loath to give the receipt for the second.

“For the last few weeks, Pal and Behra used to quarrel over this matter. Pal even insulted him, following which Behra decided to kill him,” he said, adding Pal was facing financial problems for some time.

Behra knew Pal since the time he was a teacher at a primary school in Sagardighi, the hometown of the accused.

The weapon used in the crime has been recovered and Behra has confessed to his involvement in it, the SP claimed, adding he will be produced before a court on Tuesday. PTI