KOLKATA: A 50-year-old woman was brutally murdered inside her beauty parlour in Garia’s Mahamayatala area on Tuesday, in an attack police believe stemmed from a personal dispute. The suspected assailant was later found dead outside the shop, with investigators indicating he may have died by suicide after the crime.
The victim, Rupbani Das, had reached her parlour in Tentultala around 12.05 pm after being dropped off by her husband, Anup. According to police, a man identified as Pankaj entered the premises shortly afterward, triggering a heated confrontation.
An employee present at the parlour said the man was unknown to staff and that Rupbani had asked him to leave. “Madam was angry and told him to go, but he refused. Soon, they began arguing loudly. I alerted her family immediately,” the employee said.
Moments later, locals reported hearing screams from inside the parlour. When family members rushed to the spot, they found Rupbani lying in a pool of blood with a severe neck injury. Bloodstains across the shop indicated a violent struggle.
Police arrived shortly after and recovered both bodies. The attacker was found outside the parlour with a fatal neck wound. Preliminary findings suggest he may have slit his own throat following the attack.
Investigators said the victim and the accused were known to each other and had reportedly connected on Facebook a few years ago. Their acquaintance is believed to have developed into a friendship that later deteriorated.
Rupbani’s uncle, Amarendra Das, confirmed that the family was aware of the man. He added that around two months ago, she had travelled with him to north India — possibly Delhi or Haryana — in connection with plans to expand her beauty business.
“She returned a few days ago and seemed normal. This is extremely shocking,” he said.
Police are continuing their investigation to establish the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the killing. Postmortem examinations of both bodies are awaited.
