Three men arrested in connection with the alleged murders of two app-cab drivers in West Bengal told investigators that they had posed as passengers, robbed the drivers and strangled them after facing resistance, according to a report by Bartaman Patrika – Kolkata. The two deaths occurred within a week, with the bodies found in separate locations linked to Dankuni and Madhyamgram.
The accused have been identified as Mohammed Monirul Gazi, Mohammed Ariyan Molla and Sheikh Sahadat. Dankuni police arrested the three men in connection with the murder of app-cab driver Ramjas Kaur, whose body was allegedly dumped beside Delhi Road in Dankuni. Investigators from Kolkata Police and the Chandannagar Commissionerate have questioned the accused in several rounds, the report said.
According to the report, the accused told investigators that they travelled towards north Kolkata after allegedly killing Kaur and abandoning his body. They reportedly stopped near the Bhootnath Temple close to the Nimtala crematorium before driving through parts of Kolkata and leaving the app-cab near a restaurant at the junction of Mallik Bazaar and Park Street.
In the second case, the accused allegedly killed app-cab driver Bhagwanprasad Gupta after taking a ride from Madhyamgram. His body was reportedly found in Tangra, after which the three men allegedly went to the Sealdah station area and later travelled by train back towards Madhyamgram.
The accused allegedly told investigators that robbery, rather than murder, was their initial plan. They reportedly targeted shuttle vehicles and app-cabs, posing as passengers before assaulting drivers and taking cash, mobile phones, a gold chain and rings. The report said the accused claimed that both drivers resisted, after which they were beaten, rendered unconscious and strangled. Investigators were also told that the victims’ legs were tied before the strangulation.
The report attributed the details to the questioning conducted by Kolkata Police and the Chandannagar Commissionerate. The accused allegedly said they had previously robbed other drivers and used the proceeds for drugs and entertainment. They also reportedly said that areas including Park Circus and Tangra were familiar to them, which influenced where the vehicles were abandoned after the alleged attacks.
The arrests bring the investigation into two app-cab deaths under the scrutiny of agencies operating across police jurisdictions. The inquiry is continuing, with officers from Dankuni police, Kolkata Police and the Chandannagar Commissionerate questioning the three accused about the two murders and their alleged involvement in earlier robberies.
