A man was brutally murdered by his own friend over a dispute regarding the distribution of ‘beggar’s money’. The incident occurred on Friday night in the Bazarpara area of Deganga in North 24 Parganas. Police said the deceased man’s name was Bablu Karmakar (47). His bloodied body was recovered from his house on Saturday morning.
According to allegations, Bablu was murdered by his friend Gopal Pal (30), who strangled him and then hacked him with a knife. He was later arrested by the Deganga police station officers. Police recovered the knife used in the murder. Police claimed that under interrogation, Gopal confessed to murdering his friend. Investigators are examining whether anyone else was involved in this incident.
In the initial investigation, police learned that Bablu lived at home with his elderly mother in Deganga's Bazarpara area. Although Bablu worked as a day labourer, when there was no work, he would go out to beg. He regularly went to Kolkata to beg. Gopal was his main accomplice in this work. From the money Bablu earned through begging, he would give an average of 150-200 rupees daily to Gopal. Gopal's home is in the Gayeshpur area of Kalyani. Now, for the past three to four days, Gopal had been staying at Bablu's house.
On Friday night, around 8 p.m., Bablu returned home with his friend after a day of begging. With the money they had collected, he bought liquor from a government shop. They drank together at home until about 1:30 a.m.
During the drinking session, an argument broke out between them over how to divide the money they had earned from begging. In a fit of rage, Gopal allegedly first strangled Bablu with a rope and then attacked him repeatedly with a sharp knife.
Bablu’s mother, Taru Karmakar, was in the next room but had no idea what was happening. The next morning, when she went to check on her son, she found his body lying on the bed in a pool of blood.
Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed in and immediately informed the Deganga police station. Bablu was taken to Bishwanathpur Rural Hospital in Deganga, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Police said there were wounds on the deceased's chest, back and neck. Blood stains were found on the mosquito net. Two plates of rice were kept inside the room. Neighbours said Bablu regularly organised drinking sessions at home with friends. Local people had once driven him out of the area in anger.
The deceased's mother, Taru Karmakar, said, "I could never imagine that Gopal would commit such an act. He should get severe punishment." The deceased's relative Rupa Sau said, "Bablu often organised drinking sessions at home. But I cannot understand why he had to be murdered."
