Investigations have also hint the child was not the target, she was simply in the way. Tithi happened to be at home because of an illness.

Rubber gloves and a bonti recovered from near the bodies have been sent for forensic examination. The post-mortem was conducted today and the report is awaited.

The bodies were found in the bedroom of their home on Asutosh Ghosh Road in Jagacha, with their throats slit, on Tuesday evening. Srabani was found partially clad.

“Preliminary investigation shows no signs of forced entry. But it is too early for us to say anything. We have interrogated the victim’s husband. But nothing much has come of it,” said Howrah ASP Milan Kanto Das.

The police are not ruling out the possibility of the murder being a fallout of an illicit relationship.

The CID has been called in to help investigate the case.

“We are providing all the help to the police in the case. Today we sent a team, along with forensic experts, to the spot to collect evidence,” said ADG Bhupinder Singh of the CID.

According to the police, Partho Ghosh, Srabani’s husband, who works at a call centre, left for office on Tuesday around 10 am. Tithi, a student of Class II at the local Naba Kisholoy School, was ill and her mother decided not to send her to school.

“Around 1.30 pm I called home and spoke to Srabani and Tithi. It was in the evening that I got a call from my neighbours and rushed home,” Partho Ghosh said.

According to the police, theirs was a reserved family and always kept the door locked from inside.