Preliminary inquiries by Crime Branch sleuths and scientific teams suggest that close relatives or acquaintances could be behind Tuesday’s quadruple murder of the family of former educator Dinabandhu Mallick in Astarang of Puri district. The investigating teams also do not rule out involvement of more than one person in the macabre of deaths that saw wiping out of an entire family.
Retired District Inspector (DI) of Schools Mallick, his wife Nirmala and their two minor daughters aged 11 and four were found dead with their throats slit in their house on Tuesday. looking at the gravity and the sensitiveness of the case, the State Government has entrusted the Crime Branch to investigate it.
“Initial inquiries suggest involvement of a close relative behind the murders and the motive behind it could be a property dispute,” said a member of the investigating team, which is headed by additional SP RK Swain. While the relatives and friends of Mallick family are now being questioned, the police have not taken anyone into custody by Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, members of scientific team collected blood stained cloths and other materials from Mallick’s house. Police suspect that more than two weapons were used to slit the throats of the victims and are looking for the weapons. As there has been
no forced entry into the house, police suspect that the intruders were known to the family.