Garia murder: Police retrace the fatal night inside the flat as the accused offer conflicting stories

On Tuesday morning, police walked the two women accused in the killing of software engineer Sarthak Sarkar back into the rented flat where he died, hoping the room itself would settle what the suspects' words have not.

Sanchalika Basu, 22, Sarkar's live-in partner, and her mother, Moumita Basu, were taken to the Fartabad apartment in Garia as officers reconstructed the events of Saturday night. A forensic team collected samples from several parts of the flat. The aim is to establish how Sarkar received the fatal wound, and what part, if any, Moumita played.

So far, the answers have been slippery. Police say the mother and daughter have contradicted themselves in custody. Sanchalika told investigators at one stage that Sarkar injured his own throat with a pair of scissors. At another, she said she could not remember what happened during the argument. Officers are checking whether scissors were involved at all, and are also examining a thin, pointed object, possibly a chopstick.

A quarrel that turned deadly

According to police, the couple had been fighting for some time over suspicions of infidelity. On Saturday night, with drinks poured, the argument flared again, with each accusing the other of seeing multiple partners. Investigators suspect it turned violent, leaving Sarkar fatally wounded. How it unfolded, and who did what, remains unclear.

The screams that woke the lane

Around 1.30 am, neighbours say, a woman ran out of the building crying for help. Resident Sayan Pal said she bore scratch marks on her neck, and that those who rushed in found "a young man lying in a pool of blood" on the bed. Others in the building said they had heard a fierce argument and loud noises moments earlier.

Sarkar, a resident of Barasat in North 24 Parganas, was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The two women, who lived with him, were later arrested.

The couple kept largely to themselves. "We were shocked to learn about the incident in the morning," said neighbour Arkojeet Basu.

Police say the motive and the mother's exact role remain under investigation. The forensic samples, the accused's statements and the findings from the reconstruction are expected to help piece together what happened.