About the Book

A complex criminal investigation led by Chief Detective Motilal Mistry in Calcutta, India, during late 1995. 

The narrative unfolds around the brutal murders of two sisters, Chandraja and Chandrima, followed by their mother, Chandralekha, all within the historic Bhattacharya Palace. 

As Mistry investigates, he unearths a 22-year-old secret involving Chandralekha's first illegitimate son with Jagan, who was murdered and his death disguised as a suicide by Chandralekha's powerful father, Jayanta Narayan Bhattacharya. 

The story follows the detective's journey to connect past crimes and cover-ups with the present murders, revealing a tangled web of family secrets, illicit relationships, caste prejudice, and revenge, ultimately leading to the apprehension and controversial deaths of the murderers. 

The story explores themes of justice, class, power, and the enduring impact of buried truths.

The cycle of violence spanning decades in the Bhattacharya palace was deeply rooted in the interplay of historical social structures and deeply buried family secrets.

The cycle of violence spanning decades in the Bhattacharya palace was deeply rooted in the interplay of historical social structures and deeply buried family secrets.

Here’s how this cycle unfolded:

  The Initial Secret (Circa 1973): An Illegitimate Child and Caste Disdain

    The catalyst for the initial violence was the relationship between Chandralekha and Jagan, a young servant brought to the palace by his uncle, Bhajanlal. Jagan was from the Hila community, traditionally manual scavengers, highlighting a significant caste disparity with the aristocratic Bhattacharya family.

    Chandralekha became pregnant with Jagan's child. This illegitimate pregnancy, involving a lower-caste servant, was perceived as a profound shame and threat to the upper-caste family's reputation and social standing.

    Jayanta Narayan Bhattacharya, Chandralekha's father and a renowned barrister, was determined to bury this secret. He showed immense fury and threatened Jagan when he tried to go upstairs to see Chandralekha, indicating his possessiveness over the secret.

  The First Cycle of Violence and Cover-up:

    Jagan's Murder: Jagan was murdered and his death was staged as a suicide by hanging. Dr. Tapas Sen, a forensic doctor, was bribed to falsify the autopsy report, confirming that Jagan was strangled first and then strung up. This murder was orchestrated by Jayanta Narayan, likely with the help of his hired thugs, Chandu and Choni, who were notorious figures involved in Kanulal's illegal businesses.

    The "Package" (Jaganananda Maharaj): Chandralekha gave birth to Jagan's son in Shankar Maharaj's ashram in Odisha, assisted by Dr. Saswata Biswas and his wife, Tonima. This child, later known as Jaganananda Maharaj, was referred to as the "'Package' delivered to Odisha" in Jayanta Narayan's diary.

    Dr. Saswata Biswas's Murder: Dr. Biswas, who knew about Chandralekha's "delicate medical matter," became a "complication" for Jayanta Narayan. He and his wife Tonima were targeted in a car accident, which was likely orchestrated to silence the doctor. Dr. Sen also knew that Dr. Biswas had been murdered.

    Tonima's Disappearance and Hiding: Tonima, Dr. Biswas's wife, survived the accident with severe injuries but was terrified and believed "they" (Jayanta Narayan's people) would "finish the job". She disappeared from the hospital and went into hiding with Shankar Maharaj at his ashram, living under the guise of Jaganananda's mother.

    Bhajanlal's Removal: Jayanta Narayan ensured Bhajanlal, Jagan's uncle, was sent away to his village in Bihar during these critical events to prevent him from witnessing or exposing the truth.

  The Resurfacing of Secrets and the Second Cycle of Violence (1995):

    Chandraja's Discovery: Twenty-two years later, Chandraja, Chandralekha's elder daughter, stumbled upon old papers (a diary) and met Tonima and Jaganananda Maharaj. They revealed the truth about her mother's past, including her illegitimate child with Jagan.

    Confrontation and Chandralekha's Rage: Chandraja confronted Chandralekha, who was filled with "rage" and "shame" that her secret had been discovered. She considered her daughter a "betrayer".

    Murders of the Daughters: To silence her daughters and protect her facade and position, Chandralekha orchestrated the murders of Chandraja and Chandrima. These were professional killings, executed with the help of Monulal Chakravarty (Chandralekha's admitted lover and her deceased husband's younger brother) and the same thugs, Chandu and Choni. The girls were drugged and strangled in their sleep, their bodies dumped elsewhere to confuse the police.

    Monulal's Betrayal and Blackmail: Monulal, aware of Chandralekha's dark secrets (the illegitimate child and the daughters' murders), attempted to blackmail her. He demanded she sign over the entire Bhattacharya palace property to him, leading to a furious argument. The large property and wealth were a strong motive.

    Chandralekha's Murder: When Chandralekha refused to yield to Monulal's demands, he, along with Chandu and Choni, murdered her. Her murder was brutal, showing signs of torture and manual strangulation, suggesting a more personal and less professional attack than her daughters' deaths. A blood-stained gold ring with the initial 'M' (for Monulal) found under her bed confirmed his involvement.

The "Death Palace" thus became a stage for a violent saga where the social imperative to maintain upper-caste purity and family reputation by burying a shameful secret led to an initial wave of murders. Decades later, the uncovering of this very secret, combined with greed for property, triggered a new, bloodier cycle of violence, ultimately consuming the very people who had conspired to hide the truth.

About the Author

Sanjib Sinha

@sanjibsinha

It's my personal space where I write books. Fiction, non-fiction both.

By the way you can download all the books available here for free, from my website link : https://sanjibdebsinha.in/books/

I have written a few books of which six books (on technology) have been published by Apress. Others are self-published through Leanpub, Amazon and Google Books. Some of them are fiction.

If youhave any query about my books, feel free to write me either at sanjib12sinha@gmail.com, or at sanjibdebsinha@gmail.com.