Kolkata skeleton case: Father met solicitor for dead daughter's 'future'

Arabinda De, the father of the man who was living with his sister's corpse, had visited his solicitor friend Subir Majumdar to discuss the future of his children after his death.

Responding to a fire call, the police had on Wednesday, found the charred body of 77- year-old De inside the washroom of his house.

Subsequent interrogation of his son Partha had led to the discovery of the maggot-infested skeletons of Debjani (50) and two dogs.

Majumdar, who would meet De at least once a week, admitted he never had an inkling that Debjani was dead.

"De came to me on June 8 and said he wanted to create a power of attorney in my favour. When asked why, he said if something happened to him, who would look after his son and daughter," said Majumdar.

"Since a power of attorney would become void with his death, I suggested that he set up a trust with his son and daughter being the beneficiaries. Hearing that he insisted that I become a trustee," said Majumdar.

"Not even once did he say that Debjani was dead. He was always jovial and smiling and I never had an inkling that he was depressed or was contemplating suicide," said the solicitor.

Now admitted to the Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, 44-year-old Partha confessed to living with and 'feeding' his sister Debjani who died six months ago.

Majumdar, who visited De's house only once in October last year, said the old man would often talk about his two children.

"He really adored both of them. He used to say Partha was brilliant and praised Debjani's singing. Also he would talk about how Partha was always recording whenever his sister sang," added Majumdar.

Debjani's former colleague at Don Bosco school, where she taught music, recalled her as a very talented music teacher.

"She was very cordial and always smiling. Whenever we met, she would ask how I was but she seldom used to go to the staff room. But as music teacher she was very good; she was highly qualified," said her former colleague Bablu Mondal.

"She often used to talk about the two dogs and hurried to get back home. Later her mother developed cancer and she took leave from the school to take care of her," added Mondal, Debjani's colleague at the school in 2006-07.