Questions have emerged after a police officer and an accused in the murder of four members of a family in Rangpur were seen wearing apparently similar shirts.

Sanatan Chakrabarty, deputy commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police and head of its Detective Branch, visited the crime scene in Daspara (Machhuapara) around 11:00pm on Saturday and remained there until dawn yesterday, according to videos and eyewitness accounts.

Siddhartha Das, one of the two accused arrested in the case, was taken to court around noon yesterday wearing a shirt that appeared similar to the one Sanatan had worn at the crime scene.

“I have known Siddhartha for a long time and have never seen him wear the shirt he was wearing when he was taken to court. Perhaps the police gave it to him,” local resident Shibu Das said.

Siddhartha’s elder brother, Partha Das, said his brother was wearing a black vest when police detained him early yesterday and had never owned such a shirt.

“I don’t know how my brother came to be wearing that shirt,” he said.

Siddhartha’s father Binoy Das, who said he was present at the crime scene, also said he had seen a police officer wearing a similar shirt.

Sanatan, however, denied that the shirt he wore at the crime scene had been given to Siddhartha. He said the shirt was still in his possession and that he had bought it from Aarong.

“Many people can own shirts of the same design,” he said.

The issue has drawn attention on Facebook, where posts questioning the apparent similarity between the shirts have been widely shared.

Retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65; his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, 50; their daughter, Agami Chakraborty, 23; and their son, Priyam Chakraborty, 12, were found murdered in their home.

Their bodies were recovered around 11:30pm on Saturday from the Daspara area of the city.

Besides Siddhartha, police also arrested Mugdho Das in connection with the killings.