Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

A parallel affair with a woman as well as her mother is being suspected to be the one of the key reasons behind the murder of a 21-year-old man whose body was recovered from Magrahat in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, the police said on Saturday.

A total of six persons -- Mondal's girlfriend, her mother, father, brother and two of their associates, have been arrested.

The victim's mother -- Manju Mondal, told the police in her complaint that hours after her son's death on Wednesday evening, his girlfriend had come to their residence.

"She came to our residence late Wednesday evening. She appeared restless. I asked her the reason... she told me that she has become pregnant. This means that when she came to my residence, she was aware that my son is no more," Manju Mondal said.

Later, she made a similar statement while speaking to the mediapersons as well.

Ayan Mondal was allegedly hit on head by a "heavy and blunt" object by his girlfriend's brother, and she was present at the spot when the incident happened, his mother Manju claimed.

The woman also said the girl made some "nonsensical statements".

"My son's mobile phone was switched off then. Suddenly, she asked me to check with the police, saying there is a possibility that Ayan might have been arrested. I asked her why the police would arrest my son. She avoided answering that... and instead told me that she has become pregnant," Manju Mondal said.

Police sources said that Ayan's girlfriend, who is currently in police custody, will be sent for medical examination to check the authenticity of the pregnancy claim.

Meanwhile, one more person has been arrested in connection with the incident. The driver of the pick-up van on which Ayan's body was carried -- as per the instructions of the accused persons "for dumping at a secluded place", was also arrested.

The preliminary investigation has hinted towards a love triangle -- involving Ayan, his girlfriend and her mother -- behind the murder.

The police while probing the matter got some clues which indicated towards a parallel affair that the deceased was having with the girl as well as her mother, and that resulted in a feud after which he was brutally murdered and his body dumped at a secluded place at Magrahat.

Police sources said that Mondal, who was a cab driver by profession, tried to talk to his girlfriend over phone repeatedly on Wednesday evening on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. However, since she disconnected all his calls, Mondal later went to her residence in an inebriated state.

"There, he entered a tiff with her mother and even assaulted her. Soon his girlfriend arrived followed by her brother and father, and the fight took a nasty turn. In the heat of the moment, her brother hit Mondal on his head with a heavy and blunt object leading to his instant death," a police officer said.

Thereafter, the four decided to somehow dump the body at a secluded place. The brother contacted two of his close associates, hired a pick-up van, wrapped the body, took it to a secluded place at Magrahat and dumped it. The entire process was completed by late Wednesday night.

On Thursday morning, Mondal's family filed a missing complaint at Haridevpur Police Station and eventually on Friday night, the body was recovered.

Indo-Asian News Service