‘Liking women’s photos, history of rage, & scissors’: Inside Kolkata techie’s murder by live-in partner

It was on Diwali afternoon that a young live-in couple in Kolkata went out to buy firecrackers and mutton for dinner. Hours later on Sunday night, 25-year-old IT professional Sarthak Sarkar was found in a pool of blood. His girlfriend, Sanchalika Basu, and her mother, Moumita, were arrested from their rented accommodation.

Two days on, the police investigation into Sarthak’s murder has revealed that Sarthak was stabbed to death with a pair of scissors, allegedly after a dispute with his partner.

Police claim their probe has also revealed that the primary suspect had a history of explosive rage.

According to statements from the family members, the police claim, Sanchalika allegedly had a pattern of losing control in anger — a volatile temper that investigators say they believe might have culminated in her stabbing her live-in partner to death with scissors.

According to police sources, Sanchalika’s maternal grandmother allegedly told investigators that her granddaughter “lost all composure” in anger.

On the night of the incident itself, police claim to have learnt, during an argument over the 22-year-old’s college fees, Sanchalika allegedly physically assaulted her mother, before the deadly altercation with Sarthak.

While Sarthak and Sanchalika had reportedly rented the flat in Phartabad area in Kolkata’s Garia, the woman’s mother used to live with them too.

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Sarthak would also spend several nights at his family home in Barasat. His father, who works with the West Bengal Education Department, said while the family knew of his relationship with Sanchalika, they did not know he was living with her in Garia. He said Sarthak would frequently spend nights away from him, and had told them it was due to work pressure. He worked at a tech firm in Salt Lake Sector V.

What triggered the incident

Hours before the crime, Sarthak and Sanchalika seemed like a happy couple — they travelled together to Champahati to buy Diwali firecrackers, and on their way back home, stopped by a local butcher shop to buy mutton for dinner. The vendor recalled that the couple, who were his regular customers, appeared relaxed, cheerful, and entirely at ease.

But by 1.30am on Diwali night, the residents heard loud screams from their apartment.

Investigators, led by Baruipur Police District SP Aravind Kumar Anand and Additional SP Soumyajit Barua, revealed that a heated argument had erupted between the couple after dinner.

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“The couple’s relationship had grown increasingly strained over mutual jealousy and digital surveillance, with frequent disputes triggered by Sanchalika objecting to Sarthak following other women or liking their photos on social media,” the police claimed.

As per police sources, Sarthak was allegedly heavily intoxicated that night. Sarthak was allegedly a habitual user of cannabis — another alleged point of contention between the couple.

As the spat heated, Sanchalika allegedly grabbed a pair of scissors and repeatedly stabbed Sarthak in the neck. As neighbours went to the apartment to intervene, they saw Sarthak collapsed on the bed, lying in a pool of blood. He was rushed to a nearby hospital by neighbours and police, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Phone call under scanner

Meanwhile, police have arrested both Sanchalika and her mother, Moumita, who was also present at the apartment during the murder.

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Investigators say Moumita claimed she was in the kitchen at the time of the attack, and only rushed in upon hearing Sarthak’s screams. However, police allege that Moumita has been uncooperative with their investigation from the outset, actively attempting to mislead detectives by floating theories about suicide and accidental death. Investigators say they are now probing whether Moumita played a direct role in the death or merely attempted a cover-up.

Besides, the police claim that a panicked Sanchalika dialled her sister’s phone immediately after the stabbing. Phone records and the contents of that conversation are currently under forensic review, they said.

Additionally, police said that Moumita is Sanchalika’s adoptive mother, and that authorities are probing the legal background of the adoption to understand the family’s domestic history.

On Tuesday, police escorted the two women back to the apartment to conduct a step-by-step crime scene reconstruction alongside forensic teams.

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While jealousy and anger issues remain the primary leads of the investigators, the police said they are also investigating whether any financial disputes or other factors might have led to the crime. Both the accused, meanwhile, remain in custody.