KOLKATA: A chilling message sent from a murdered woman’s missing phone has emerged as a key lead in the killing of a 26-year-old yoga instructor in Kolkata’s Baranagar.When her family texted “Hi” to her number after her body was found inside a locked flat, they allegedly received a cryptic reply: “Whatever you want to know or ask, you will get an answer if you ask.”Another message followed: “I am among you, but you will not be able to catch me.” The phone was switched off shortly afterwards.
Police identified the victim as Anjali Shaw, a resident of Dunlop, whose body was discovered on a bed inside a fourth-floor flat in Lake Pally on Tuesday night. She had a deep wound around her neck and multiple other injuries. Investigators suspect she was strangled. Her gold ornaments were also allegedly missing.The flat belongs to Anjali’s brother-in-law, who recently shifted to Serampore in Hooghly with her elder sister. He had left the keys with a neighbour, Latika Manna, residents said. Anjali collected the keys on Tuesday afternoon and went inside.When she failed to answer repeated calls from her sister later that evening, neighbours were asked to check on her. They knocked on the door but received no response. Police from Baranagar police station subsequently broke open the door and found her body.Anjali’s brother, Shivam Shaw, said the family learnt at the hospital that she had sustained injuries to her neck and face. He alleged that she had been strangled with a white scarf and that her clothes were torn.“Her purse, mobile phone, wristwatch, ring, bracelet and earrings were missing,” Shivam said.The missing phone and the messages allegedly sent from it have become a crucial part of the investigation. Shivam claimed the family received the replies after messaging Anjali’s number following the discovery of her body. The handset was switched off soon afterwards.The family suspects that a young man known to Anjali may be in possession of the phone and could have been involved in the murder. Police have advised relatives against responding to further messages and asked them to preserve screenshots.Investigators are scanning CCTV footage from the residential complex and surrounding areas to establish who entered and left the building, including after Anjali reached the flat. They are also trying to determine how the assailant escaped and whether anyone visited her before the murder.Police are examining robbery and a possible personal relationship as motives, besides investigating whether Anjali was subjected to physical or sexual assault before her death.A senior Barrackpore police officer said the lock on the flat could be operated from outside, making it necessary to establish whether the door had been locked from within or by someone outside.“Although the door was locked, the type of locking mechanism could be operated from outside as well. We are yet to ascertain whether it was locked from inside or outside,” he said.“Based on the complaint lodged by the victim’s family, a murder case has been registered. We are also investigating whether anyone known to the victim was involved in the crime. Family members, relatives and friends are being questioned. We are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death,” the DCP (South), Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, said.The murder has triggered tension in the densely populated Lake Pally neighbourhood.
