Masked Entry, Changed Clothes: How CCTV Footage Nailed West Bengal Family in Delhi University Professor’s Murder

NEW DELHI — A chilling trail of digital evidence and a bitter ancestral property dispute have culminated in the arrest of a family of three from West Bengal, shedding light on the cold-blooded murder of a Delhi University assistant professor. Investigators tracking the gruesome killing of Debosmita Paul have recovered crucial CCTV footage from the residential complex where she lived, detailing how the suspects meticulously planned the crime, altered their clothing, and attempted to hide their identities behind surgical masks.

The breakthrough comes a day after the Delhi Police arrested 42-year-old Ramprashad Das, his 36-year-old wife Banashree Das, and their 13-year-old minor son from Burdwan in West Bengal.

Discovery of the Crime

The tragic incident came to light on June 3, 2026, when the body of Debosmita Paul, an assistant professor of English at DU’s Shivaji College, was discovered inside her sixth-floor apartment at Satyam Apartments in east Delhi’s Vasundhara Enclave. Neighbors grew suspicious when Paul, known for her punctual routine and active academic engagements, did not respond to calls or text messages. Upon entering the flat, police discovered the academic dead under suspicious circumstances, launching an immediate homicide investigation.

Because the apartment showed no signs of forced entry, local sleuths initially suspected the involvement of someone known to the victim. The focus quickly shifted to examining the entry and exit logs of the residential complex and analyzing hours of recording from the security cameras placed around the premises.

The CCTV Trail Exposed

According to senior investigators, the breakthrough came when a forensic review of the apartment complex’s CCTV network revealed a sequence of highly unusual movements on the day of the murder.

In the first set of recordings recovered from the staircase, the three family members are seen ascending toward the upper floors together. Crucially, all three suspects were wearing face masks in a deliberate attempt to conceal their facial features from the cameras. Ramprashad Das was observed carrying a distinct red bag, which police believe contained the tools for the crime or served to carry stolen items.

However, the suspects’ attempts to bypass security failed when compared with another camera feed located within a different section of Satyam Apartments. In a second clip captured near the residential elevators, the family is seen exiting a lift. By this time, the discipline of their disguise had faltered: only Ramprashad was still wearing his face mask, while his wife Banashree and their teenage son walked openly with their faces fully exposed to the lens.

What stood out most prominently to the cyber and forensic teams was a sudden change of wardrobe. In the initial staircase footage, Ramprashad Das was clearly seen wearing a white shirt, while Banashree was dressed in a black-and-white salwar kameez. By the time they entered the elevator area after the alleged commission of the crime, both had completely changed their clothes. Ramprashad emerged in a bright red shirt, and Banashree had switched to a red salwar kameez. This deliberate change of attire, investigators note, was a calculated move to throw off eyewitnesses and security guards at the main gates.

A Deadly Property Dispute

As the Delhi Police dug deeper into the background of the suspects, a motive deeply rooted in greed and familial discord emerged. Investigators revealed that the accused family had been illegally occupying an ancestral property belonging to Paul in Burdwan, West Bengal, since 2023.

The prime property had been legally allotted to the assistant professor as part of a formal family settlement. For nearly three years, Paul had repeatedly petitioned, begged, and demanded that Ramprashad and his family vacate the premises so she could assume full possession. However, the occupants continuously resisted, leading to a long-running, bitter dispute between the parties.

The situation reached a boiling point last month when Paul traveled to West Bengal to issue a final, stern legal warning to the family, making it clear that she would initiate formal eviction proceedings if they did not hand over the keys immediately. Fearing the loss of the valuable property, the family allegedly hatched a conspiracy to travel to the national capital and eliminate the professor permanently, believing her death would dissolve the eviction threats.

The Great Escape and Arrest

After allegedly murdering Paul inside her sixth-floor flat on June 3, the family executed a swift escape plan. To avoid a paper trail, they avoided booking commercial app-based cabs directly from the apartment building. Instead, they walked out of the complex and hailed a local taxi, which dropped them off a few kilometers away.

From there, they boarded a public autorickshaw to reach the bustling interstate transport hub at Anand Vihar. Seeking to exit the state as quickly as possible, they moved toward the New Delhi Railway Station, where they purchased tickets and boarded the Poorva Express bound back for West Bengal.

Despite their efforts to blend into the crowds, the distinct wardrobe changes captured on the apartment cameras and digital surveillance along the railway routes allowed Delhi Police intelligence teams to map out their exact escape vector. Working in close coordination with local state intelligence and law enforcement agencies in West Bengal, a special raid team from the Delhi Police tracked the trio down to their hideout in Burdwan.

On June 7, 2026, all three family members were formally placed under arrest. While the couple has been remanded to police custody for further interrogation, their 13-year-old son is being processed under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.

A senior police official monitoring the case stated, “The CCTV visuals provided the undeniable link we needed. The suspects believed that changing clothes and masking up would mask their guilt, but the digital trail left them entirely exposed. We are currently recovering the physical evidence, including the clothes worn during the crime and the red bag seen in the footage.”

The academic community at Shivaji College and Delhi University has expressed deep shock over the tragic demise of the professor, demanding swift justice and strict punishment for the perpetrators. Further legal proceedings and forensic analysis of the crime scene remain underway.