A late-night walk home turned fatal in Siliguri when a heated argument between a couple spiralled into a deadly confrontation, ending in a suspected murder-suicide that police believe was driven by mounting financial stress.
Police believe their initial suspicion in the double-death case is being confirmed. Tapan Roy is suspected to have killed his wife, Anima Roy, before taking his own life. Although the post-mortem report is still awaited, conversations with doctors at North Bengal Medical College have guided investigators toward this conclusion.
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Police also visited the Sahu riverbank again on Monday to continue inquiries. According to the medical team that conducted the autopsy, both Anima and Tapan likely died between 8:30 pm and 10:00 pm on Saturday.
Police have learned that the couple argued and scuffled for quite some time before their deaths. On Saturday evening, the two left a factory in Farabari and were walking home along the jungle path after crossing the Sahu river. The quarrel escalated there. Tapan, a mason by profession, was carrying a bag. Investigators believe he took out a sharp kurni (a tool used by masons) from the bag and tried to slash Anima’s neck. His first blow landed on her chin instead. A violent fight broke out in the jungle, during which Tapan started beating his wife.
The riverbank at the spot is around 10–12 feet high. After the assault, Tapan pushed the limp Anima off the bank into the river. But with water only knee-deep, she fell near the bank instead of drowning. Police suspect she died within minutes.
Realising that Anima was dead, Tapan attempted to end his own life. He first tried slashing his own neck with the kurni, but the injury wasn’t fatal. He then removed a small sheet Anima was wearing, fashioned it into a noose, and tried to hang himself. His first attempt on a tree failed. He then used another tree nearby and ended his life. Police, after visiting the spot on Monday, are now almost certain of this sequence.
Investigators believe financial distress triggered the murder-suicide. Tapan had been unemployed for several days, and arguments over money had intensified. Anima worked as a cook in the factory, and Tapan frequently asked her for money, leading to frequent fights that spiralled out of control.
Questions remain about why Tapan chose to hang himself on the opposite side of the river from where his wife was left. An officer from Ashighar outpost said, “They had crossed from the jungle side to this side. Anima’s sheet was lying by the bank. It appears Tapan took it and returned into the jungle to hang himself.”
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What doctors conveyed to police aligns with the statement of the couple’s son, Sujon. On Sunday, he said, “My father’s phone rang until 8 pm last night, but he didn’t pick up. Later the phone switched off.”
The kurni and the bag used during the crime have not been found yet. Search operations are on. Siliguri DCP Rakesh Singh said, “For now, it appears the husband killed his wife and then died by suicide. The investigation is ongoing. More details will be shared once it is complete.”
