Rice trader Srikanta Adak was arrested at dawn on Sunday for allegedly murdering an elderly couple in central Calcutta on Saturday evening. Adak was a family friend of the victims.

Police claimed that Adak had confessed to borrowing Rs 2.5 lakh from the couple and not wanting to return the money. “They wanted the money back and were pressuring Adak. Unable to repay the loan, he decided to eliminate them,” explained deputy commissioner (detective department) Gyanwant Singh.

Amiyo Chatterjee, 67, and his wife Manu, 60, were found murdered in a first-floor room of a two-storeyed building in Brajanath Dutta Lane, under the jurisdiction of Muchipara police station. While Manu’s throat was slit before she was laid on the bed, Amiyo had injuries in his lower abdomen and genitals.

Their son Ambar told police that jewellery weighing about 40 gm and Rs 3,000 in cash were missing from the wardrobe in the room.

He also said that Adak was supposed to visit his parents around 5 pm on Saturday,” said an officer of the police station.

The information tallied with what Ambar’s maternal uncle Amar Mukherjee, who resides on the ground floor of the building, stated. “Mukherjee told us that he saw Adak going up the stairs between 5 pm and 5.30 pm,” added the officer.

The investigators arrested Adak in his Raja Subodh Mullick Square residence early on Sunday. The stolen jewellery was found in the house.

Adak claimed that Amiyo was pressuring him to repay Rs 2.5 lakh at one go. “But it was not possible for me. I borrowed the money a few months back and was paying Amiyo Rs 6,000 per month as interest,” he told police.

According to the cops, Adak had first attacked Manu with a razor.

“Amiyo was in another room. As soon as he came out, Adak stabbed him in the abdomen. He slashed Amiyo’s genitals in the bid to pull out the razor,” said the officer.