A 28-year-old man from Baranagar in north Calcutta has been arrested for allegedly killing a woman he met on a social networking platform at her Kestopur home.

According to a senior officer from the Bidhannagar commissionerate, Kaushik Saha had befriended Avishikta Dey, a freelance makeup artist, on a social networking platform several months ago.

The police were alerted by Avishikta’s husband Buddhadeb Saha who found her lifeless body lying on the bed inside their house after he came back from work late on Friday.

The cops tracked down Kaushik and arrested him within a few hours from Baranagar.

The officer said the couple had been living in Kestopur for several years and had a three-year-old son who lives with his grandparents in Shyambazar.

On Friday, Buddhadeb left for work around 9am. When he called his wife at 11.30am, she did not answer. He continued calling her throughout the day. Eventually, her phone was switched off.

On returning home, Buddhadeb found the grille gate and front door locked. Using his keys, he entered the house and discovered his wife’s lifeless body in the bedroom.
He immediately contacted Baguiati police station, the officer said.

Deputy commissioner Aishwarya Sagar from the Bidhannagar commissionerate’s airport zone said that when the police team arrived at the scene, it was clear that Avishikta had been strangled.

The team saw there were ligature marks and bruises on her neck and body.

The investigators reviewed CCTV footage in the neighbourhood and spotted a man entering the house.

According to Sagar, Buddhadeb informed the police that his wife had befriended Kaushik on a social media platform and they often communicated online.

Using this information, the police traced Kaushik’s profile and tracked his phone number, which Buddhadeb gave them.

The police then mounted electronic surveillance and located Kaushik in Baranagar.

“During questioning, Kaushik confessed to strangling Avishikta after she rejected his advances,” Sagar said.

Kaushik has been charged with Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (punishment for murder).

He was produced before a court in Barasat, which sent him in a three-day police
remand.