Bengal murder case: What made the engineer kill his parents ?

A 35-year-old engineer, named Humayun Kabir, a Jadavpur University graduate who earlier worked in Delhi, brutally murdered his elderly parents in their home in Memari, East Burdwan, on Wednesday morning.

Kabir dragged his parents' bleeding bodies to the street. He then travelled nearly 130km to Bongaon’s Hafizia Kharizia Orphanage Madrassa where he attacked four persons with a machete in the evening.

Earlier on Wednesday, the blood-soaked bodies of Haji Mustafizur Rahman (65) and his wife Mumtaz Begum (55) were found on the road outside their home in Memari’s Kazipara.

Both had deep gashes on their throats and lacerations. The bloodstains revealed the killer had dragged the bodies outside from their home.

According to Bongaon SP Dinesh Kumar, around 6.30pm, Humayun entered the orphanage-madrassa armed with an axe and a machete and began attacking those present.

Among those severely injured were two elderly teachers. All four injured were immediately taken to Bongaon Sub-Divisional Hospital. Humayun was arrested from the orphanage premises and taken to Bongaon police station.

Kabir didn’t immediately confess to murdering his parents but when he gave cops the address of his Memari home, it helped them find connections between both the cases.

A six-member East Burdwan police team has set off for Bongaon to find out why Humayun specifically targeted the teachers and staffers at the orphanage.

As soon as Kabir was arrested and taken to the Bongain police station, a mob gathered at the station to snatch him from the police custody and punish him for what he did at the madrassa. The police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob.

The investigation was delayed as violence rocked the Bongaon police station. Nearly 100-150 locals tried to force their way in and snatch Kabir from police custody and punish him for the orphanage attack. “Ten persons were immediately arrested for the police station attack,” the SP said.

Humayun, who used to live with his parents, was missing but his mobile was found in the house. Kabir’s sister Tamanna Rahman, a teacher in Howrah, told police that her brother was a bright student.

In her FIR, she did not blame anyone for her parents’ murder, refusing to believe that her brother could be involved in such brutality.

The Bongaon police also posted messages on X about attempts being made to give the incident a communal angle and warning against rumour-mongering. Late at night, the SP confirmed that Humayun had murdered his elderly parents in the morning. He will be produced in court on Thursday.

The biggest question dogging investigators is Humayun’s links with the orphanage. Initially, police believed he was “mentally unstable” but after it emerged that he had murdered his parents, they suspect this could be an alibi.

( With input from TOI)