Bangladesh: Missing Hindu jeweller’s body found in blue drum, murder suspected

The body of a 50-year-old jewellery shop owner, who had been missing since September 20, was found stuffed inside a drum floating near a sluice gate in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh, police said.

The body was recovered on Wednesday after local residents spotted the drum floating in the water near the sluice gate in the Begunbari area. Police found the body of an unidentified man wrapped in cloth inside the drum, local media reported.

How body was identified

A token belonging to the Mymensingh Hindu Cooperative Credit Union Limited was found in the man’s trouser pocket. Police contacted the organisation using the token, which helped identify the deceased as Niranjan Chandra Sutradhar, who ran a jointly owned jewellery shop in the Atharbari Building area of Mymensingh city.

Niranjan’s wife, Sumita Rani Sutradhar, and son, Joy Sutradhar, identified the body on Thursday evening.

Kotwali Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Ruhul Amin said the credit union was contacted after the token was recovered, and its members helped establish Niranjan’s identity. His identity was subsequently confirmed by his family, Bangladesh’s Daily Ittefaq reported.

Niranjan lived with his wife and son in a rented house in the Stadium area. He went missing on September 20, but his family did not file a general diary as he had previously stayed away from home for three to four days before returning.

Injury marks on body point to murder

Police said the body bore sharp-weapon injury marks on the head and chest. Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Shibirul Islam said investigators initially believe Niranjan was killed before his body was placed inside the drum and dumped into the water.

Police have yet to determine the motive or identify those responsible for the killing. No arrests had been made as of Friday morning.

A case had also not been registered as of Thursday night, with police saying the process of filing a complaint on behalf of the family was underway.

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