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The seemingly straightforward case of a high-speed car crash on Kolkata's EM Bypass rapidly evolved into a complex and unsettling mystery involving the death of three women from a prominent business family, the Deys. The accident, which occurred at approximately 3:35 am on Wednesday, involved Prasun Dey (48), his brother Pranay Dey (44), and Pranay's 14-year-old son, Pratip. Miraculously, all three men survived the 100 kmph collision with a pillar near the Avishikta crossing. However, the events that unfolded hours later cast a far darker shadow over the incident, transforming a traffic accident into a potential homicide investigation.
The chilling confession arrived from Pranay Dey's hospital bed. He claimed a suicide pact, stating that his wife Sudeshna, sister-in-law Romi, and 14-year-old niece Priyamvada had consumed a sedative-laced payesh (a traditional Bengali dessert) and subsequently died. Upon entering the Dey's Tangra home, police were met with a gruesome scene. The women were found in separate rooms, their deaths marked by a disturbing combination of injuries. Romi and Sudeshna showed signs of throat slitting and wrist slashing. Priyamvada, the teenager, displayed signs of possible poisoning, including bruising around her nose and lips and froth at the mouth. This initial assessment, however, was later complicated by the lack of any detectable toxins in the subsequent forensic examination.
The police investigation is far from straightforward. While Pranay's confession points towards a suicide pact motivated by overwhelming financial distress, the physical evidence complicates this narrative. The discovery of only one penknife at the scene, combined with the suspicion of blunt-force trauma, raises questions about the accuracy of Pranay's account. The financial difficulties of the Dey family, once a prominent business in Kolkata's leather goods export industry, are undeniable. Their Protective Leather Gloves Pvt Ltd had reportedly suffered heavy losses during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to decreased manpower and increased anxiety among the owners. The presence of unidentified “well-built men” outside the factory the day before the incident, suspected to be creditors or debt collectors, further supports the theory of financial pressure.
The timeline leading up to the tragedy is being meticulously reconstructed by the police. CCTV footage shows the visibly distressed Dey brothers leaving their home at 12:54 am. Their business partner, Manoj Gupta, had visited the family home earlier that evening. The police are investigating the sequence of events between the alleged consumption of the drugged dessert and the high-speed car crash, trying to understand if there were any discrepancies in Pranay’s story. Neighbours described the Deys as a family who rarely quarreled, yet Pranay's unsteady demeanor before leaving home suggests a state of extreme stress. The sharp contrast between the family's apparent outward success—owning multiple cars and a four-story home—and the devastating secret unfolding behind closed doors paints a tragic picture of a family on the brink.
The police are exploring all possibilities, including murder, despite Pranay's confession. A murder complaint has been filed by Romi's father against unknown persons. The investigation involves a forensic team, a homicide squad, and a mobile DNA unit. The complexity of the case is further underscored by the conflicting evidence – the absence of toxins despite the apparent poisoning, the single penknife, the suspicion of blunt force trauma, and the conflicting testimonies. This case is not merely about the death of three women; it’s a narrative encompassing financial ruin, a family’s desperation, and the agonizing uncertainty surrounding the truth behind their final moments. Whether the events were a pre-planned suicide pact or a desperate attempt to cover up a violent crime remains a key question for the investigators as they sift through the available evidence and strive for a clearer understanding of what transpired within the once-affluent Dey household.
Source: Kolkata business family and the mystery of poisoning, ‘suicide pact’, high-speed car crash