A brutal murder allegedly driven by an extramarital relationship has shocked West Bengal after Bagdogra Police arrested five people, including the victim’s wife and her alleged lover, within 48 hours of discovering a headless body in a tea garden. Investigators say the accused carefully planned the killing, beheaded the victim, and abandoned his body in an apparent attempt to delay identification and mislead authorities. However, a crucial identity card found with the body led police to unravel what officers describe as a meticulously planned conspiracy.
The victim has been identified as Imam, a resident of Bihar’s Kishanganj district who earned his livelihood as a traditional faith healer, commonly known as an ojha. According to investigators, Imam travelled frequently because of his profession, making it easier for the accused to allegedly execute their plan without immediately raising suspicion among relatives or acquaintances.
The case came to light on Tuesday when local residents alerted police after spotting a headless body in the No. 9 Section of Haskhowa Tea Garden under the jurisdiction of Bagdogra Police Station. The gruesome discovery triggered an intensive investigation, with officers initially facing the challenge of identifying the victim. Although the body had been deliberately mutilated, investigators recovered an identity card from the scene, which ultimately became the breakthrough that changed the course of the investigation.
Police contacted Imam’s family in Bihar, who later travelled to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, where they identified the deceased. What initially appeared to be an unidentified murder soon evolved into a high-profile criminal investigation involving multiple suspects spread across different locations.
As investigators examined the victim’s personal life and recent movements, suspicion reportedly shifted toward his wife, Tumpa Ghosh, also known as Momina Begum. Police said both Imam and Momina worked as traditional faith healers and were known within local communities for offering spiritual and occult-related services.
During questioning and evidence collection, investigators allegedly uncovered a long-standing extramarital relationship between Momina Begum and Sudip Pal, another faith healer from Chandal Jote in Goshaipur, Bagdogra. According to police, Sudip is married and the father of two sons. Investigators believe the relationship had continued for a considerable period and had become the central motive behind the murder.
Police allege that the couple decided to eliminate Imam so they could continue their relationship without opposition. Investigators claim the conspiracy extended beyond the two alleged lovers, with Sudip allegedly recruiting his nephews, Bapi Pal and Nitai Pal from Jalpaiguri, along with their friend Kaushik Nath, to help execute the plan.
According to the investigation, Imam was allegedly lured to Haskhowa under false pretences. Police say the group attacked him, slit his throat, beheaded him, and disposed of the headless body inside the tea garden in an attempt to complicate the investigation. Officers believe the removal of the victim’s head was intended to delay identification and destroy crucial evidence.
Despite the alleged attempt to conceal the crime, detectives pieced together the sequence of events through forensic evidence, technical analysis, witness statements, and sustained interrogation of the suspects. Within just two days of the body’s recovery, Bagdogra Police arrested all five accused and presented them before the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Court, which remanded them to police custody for further investigation.
A senior police officer said the investigation quickly pointed toward a conspiracy rather than a random act of violence.
“The investigation revealed that the murder was the result of a conspiracy allegedly hatched by the victim’s wife and her lover. Based on evidence and interrogation, we were able to crack the case and arrest all five accused. The weapon believed to have been used in the crime has also been recovered. The victim’s head has also been recovered. Further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events and collect all available evidence,” the officer said.
Investigators are now focusing on reconstructing every stage of the alleged conspiracy, including when the murder was planned, how each accused participated, and whether additional individuals had prior knowledge of the crime. Police are also examining digital communication records and other forensic evidence to establish a complete timeline before filing the final chargesheet.
The recovery of both the alleged murder weapon and the victim’s severed head is expected to strengthen the prosecution’s case. Forensic experts are likely to examine biological evidence, fingerprints, and other material collected during the investigation to corroborate statements made during interrogation.
The case has drawn widespread attention because of the disturbing manner in which the crime was allegedly committed and the alleged involvement of close family members. Crimes stemming from relationship disputes are not uncommon in India, but cases involving alleged premeditated beheading remain exceptionally rare and often trigger intense public concern due to their brutality.
Legal experts note that investigators will now have to establish motive, conspiracy, and the specific role played by each accused through admissible evidence before trial. While police have presented their findings based on the investigation so far, the allegations will ultimately be tested in court, where the accused will have the opportunity to contest the charges.
For residents of Bagdogra and surrounding areas, the case has raised fresh concerns about violent crimes arising from personal relationships. At the same time, police officials have highlighted the swift progress of the investigation as an example of coordinated forensic work, technical analysis, and field intelligence leading to rapid arrests despite the initial challenge of identifying a headless body.
As the investigation continues, authorities are expected to gather additional forensic reports, reconstruct the crime scene in greater detail, and record further witness statements. The findings will determine the final charges against the five accused as prosecutors prepare what is likely to become one of the region’s most closely watched murder trials in recent months.