Bengal couple held over DU professor murder: They travelled 1,400 km for mission

Three days after the murder of a Delhi University professor stunned the national capital, Delhi Police on Sunday (June 7) arrested a couple from West Bengal, alleging that they travelled nearly 1,400 kilometres to carry out the crime over a property dispute worth crores.

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The victim, Dr Debosmita Paul, an assistant professor at Shivaji College, Delhi University, was found murdered in her apartment in Vasundhara Enclave in east Delhi. The case came to light after her sister, Devarati Paul, grew suspicious when repeated calls to Debosmita went unanswered. When she reached the flat, she found it locked from the outside and eventually discovered her sister's body inside.

Case breakthrough

Police said the deceased had suffered a severe head injury caused by a heavy blunt object, while the veins in her wrist had also been severed. Investigators quickly ruled out robbery as jewellery, cash and other valuables were found untouched inside the apartment.

The breakthrough came after police analysed CCTV footage from the housing complex. The footage showed a masked man and woman entering the sixth-floor apartment on Wednesday (June 3).

The crime

According to investigators, the couple had travelled from Bardhaman in Bengal and arrived in Delhi under the pretext of meeting the professor. The accused were Ramprasad Das and Banshree Das, according to an NDTV report. It said the couple also took their minor son during the sinister mission to avoid suspicion. He was also detained.

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Officials said the accused brought along their young child to avoid attracting suspicion and gain a friendly entry into the apartment. CCTV footage showed them arriving in a private taxi carrying bags and using the staircase instead of the lift to reach the flat.

After allegedly murdering Debosmita with a weapon they had brought with them, the couple remained inside the apartment for around 30 minutes. They then changed their clothes and left through the staircase before escaping in a cab that had been waiting outside, police said.

Investigators tracked the taxi driver and accessed ride details, which became a key lead in identifying the suspects. Police scrutinised footage of nearly 200 visitors who entered the housing complex that day, shortlisted 13 suspects, and formed seven teams that conducted raids across four states before finally arresting the accused in Bardhaman.

Property dispute motive

According to police, the motive was an ongoing dispute over a property in Bengal inherited by Debosmita after the death of her maternal grandfather. The property, estimated to be worth crores, was occupied by the accused as tenants. Investigators said the professor had been pressuring them to vacate the premises, leading the couple to allegedly plot her murder in an attempt to gain control of the property.

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A case has been registered under Section 103 (Murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused are currently being interrogated, while further investigation is underway.