Self-confessed Chandpur serial killer says goal was '101'

A 40 year-old man, arrested for theft, has confessed to killing 11 women in two years in Faridganj, Chandpur, in a gruesome attempt to reach the target of 101 serial murders, police said Sunday.

Rasu Khan began confessing to the killings on Saturday, in police custody, and told of his macabre goal to kill over 100 women, saying he was thwarted in his first love as a youth, Faridganj police said.

He was produced in court on Sunday where he recorded a four-hour confessional statement.

Faridganj police told bdnews24.com Khan was initially arrested in Tongi on September 3 for stealing fans from a mosque in Faridganj.

He was then taken into remand on Oct 8 for questioning in connection with a murder case.

Officer-in-charge of Faridganj Police Station, Ranjit Chandra Palit, told bdnews24.com, "Police had been investigating the recent murder of a woman in Chandpur Sadar, having been informed of the killing by a mobile phone call. When police tried to trace the number, the SIM was found to be inactive."

"It was later reactivated. Police arrested the user and found that he had bought the SIM from Khan."

Being linked to the murder, Khan eventually confessed that he used to contact women by phone, take them for outings to Chandpur, and then torturing and killing them viciously and dumping the bodies in water, said Palit.

Khan told police he had killed six women in Faridganj, four at Chandpur Sadar and one in the Haimchar area.

Sixteen years ago, the now self-confessed serial killer was living in Tongi, Dhaka. There, he told police, he met a girl, Sharmin, of a rich family.

He claims he proposed to her several times but was always rejected. He also says suffered a severe beating at the hands of her family members, which made him "angry with women".

After that, he says he thought of living his life at Shahjalal's shrine, "like Nizam Uddin Awlia".

But first, he vowed to kill 101 women, "except my wife", Khan says, as, bizarrely, he did marry—more than once.

His first wife was Monu, "a one-eyed girl" from Larua village in Faridganj, whom he was married to for 11 years.

But that marriage came to an end, and he later wed Monu's younger sister Rina, he told police.

Khan said his first victim was his brother-in-law's wife, whom he killed in early 2007.

He reportedly lured her to Bhatialganj, in Faridganj, raped and strangled her to death. Khan told police he left the body at the bank of the Dakatia river.

He said he killed 10 more women, aged 15-35, up to August this year.

Khan said he used to rape the women he "liked" before killing them. Others were strangled to death straightaway, before Khan dumped the bodies into rivers or other water.

His last victim, a woman from Paltaluk village in Faridganj, Khan said, was killed with the assistance of his nephew Zahirul.

Zahirul recorded a statement in court on Saturday.

Khan in his confession also alleged "some influential people" had helped him escape from authorities, but did not mention their names saying that his family might face problems if he did so.

Faridganj police chief Palit said Khan was remarkably unruffled during his confession and questioning. "He did not seem at all mad," said the police officer.

Khan also appeared oddly at ease describing the incidents when produced before the media.

"I hope I am not caught in any 'crossfire', I'd rather be punished according to the law," Khan said during a police press briefing.