Man beheads wife, kills father in Bengal's Bankura; severed head placed at temple

A man was arrested for allegedly beheading his wife and killing his father with a sharp weapon in Bengal's Bankura district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday night at Nat Lalbaba Manachar, an area on the bank of the Damodar River that borders the jurisdictions of Sonamukhi police station in Bankura district and Kanksa police station in Paschim Bardhaman district.

The accused, identified as Mangal Choudhury, allegedly beheaded his wife, Rumpa Choudhury (39), before killing his father, Rajendra Choudhury, aged around 60, with a sharp weapon, according to police.

The severed head of the woman was allegedly placed at a temple, triggering panic in the area.

The body of Rajendra Choudhury was recovered from the courtyard of the house. Mangal also allegedly attempted to attack his brother, who managed to escape.

Police from Sonamukhi and Kanksa police stations reached the spot after receiving information about the incident. Both bodies were recovered, and arrangements were being made to send them for post-mortem examination, sources at Sonamukhi police station said.

The motive behind the double murder remains unclear, with investigators yet to establish whether the crime was linked to occult (tantric) rituals or whether any other person had instigated the accused.

Local residents said that Mangal and his wife regularly offered prayers at a temple and that a tantric practitioner used to visit their house.

However, police have not confirmed any link between the murders and tantric practices, and the circumstances leading to the crime remain under investigation.

The accused was arrested on Monday. However, he could not be produced before a court as he had an injured finger and was admitted to Bankura Sammilani Medical College and Hospital for treatment, the police said.