Multi-crore property feud, masked visitors, CCTV trail: Tracing footprints behind murder of DU professor Debosmita Paul

Delhi Police are piecing together how an assistant professor was brutally killed inside her Vasundhara Enclave flat, in a case that has shocked the city. Investigators say the crime stemmed from a long-running dispute over an ancestral property in West Bengal. Police have arrested a couple and their minor son in connection with the incident. (Image enhanced with AI)

CCTV stills capture the moment the accused couple, Ramprasad Das and his wife Banashree Das, entered the residential complex where the victim lived, walking with apparent ease minutes before the attack. Police say the two and their minor child travelled from Bardhaman to Delhi, allegedly to confront the professor over a property issue. Those images have become key pieces of evidence in the ongoing investigation.

The murder occurred inside Satyam Apartments in Vasundhara Enclave, where Dr. Debosmita Paul resided alone. Neighbours told police the sociology of the building appeared normal on the surface, with little to suggest the violent turn of events that unfolded here. Investigators are reviewing entry and exit logs as part of reconstruction efforts.

Law enforcement officials sealed off the area following the tragic discovery of the professor’s body. Teams from the East Delhi police have been conducting door-to-door enquiries and analysing security footage. Forensic officers were seen taking photographs and gathering evidence from the scene.

According to police, Dr. Paul had welcomed the couple into her home and even offered them water shortly before the attack. What began as a seemingly ordinary meeting quickly escalated into a fatal confrontation. The details have added to the shock surrounding the case.

Investigators believe the accused travelled roughly 1,400 km from Bardhaman to Delhi, bringing their 13-year-old son along in an effort to avoid arousing suspicion. Records suggest they stayed at a guest house in Dallupura before making their way to the professor’s flat. Authorities recovered train travel documents and guest house entries during the probe.

Police recovered key items at the scene and during the investigation, including the victim’s mobile phone, clothes and a razor suspected to have been used in the attack. Investigators also traced forged Aadhaar cards used by the suspects to check into a guest house. These pieces are central to building the case as it moves forward.

Police sources say the couple had repeatedly tried to buy or take over a multi-crore ancestral property in Bardhaman that fell under Dr. Paul’s share but were refused and later asked to vacate. The alleged resentment over this dispute is now believed to be a primary motive for the brutal killing. The case remains under investigation as authorities build their prosecution.