Unidentified criminals strangled a gold trader to death and looted nine tolas of gold ornaments from his shop at Tantibazar in the old part of the capital early yesterday. Police recovered the body of Rajib Chandra Ghosh, 25, from his shop RL Jewellery Workshop at Raj Rajeswar Mandir Market in the morning.

Sir Salimullah

Medical College morgue sources said Rajib was strangled to death and his body bore several marks of stab wounds.

Md Liton, a business partner of Rajib, told The Daily Star he left for home around Monday midnight leaving Rajib in the shop as he used to stay there at night.

“After coming back to the shop at about 9:00am in the morning, I found it locked from outside," Liton said.

"I opened the shop using my key and found Rajib's body lying inside," he said adding, nine tolas of gold ornaments were looted from theshop.

Rajib and Liton started the jewellery business at the third floor of the five-storey market about three months ago.

Salahuddin Khan, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said police suspect that some close acquaintances of the victim may have been involved in the killing.

Police detained some people in connection with the incident, the OC said.

Protesting the killing, jewellery traders kept the market closed for the day.

On December 29 last, armed robbers shot dead a gold trader atTantibazar.