Chiriyakhana (1967) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sen believed Sunayana was hiding somewhere inside his Golap Colony nursery under a false identity. As a retired judge who had sentenced twenty people to death, he felt morally guilty in retirement and wanted to make amends by helping troubled people. He also wanted to uncover hidden details about an old Bengali film song she had sung, suspecting it might reveal more about her whereabouts.

Foreshadowing: Sen mentions during the initial meeting that he presides over cases involving people with troubled histories.

• byomkesh
• nishanath sen
• sunayana
• golap colony
• investigation

Sunayana was living in Golap Colony under the alias Banalakshmi, one of Sen's employees. She had undergone plastic surgery to alter her facial appearance, which is how she avoided detection despite Byomkesh photographing all the residents during his first visit.

Foreshadowing: A plastic flower found in Byomkesh's room prompts him to re-examine appearances and disguises among the colony residents.

• sunayana
• banalakshmi
• disguise
• plastic surgery
• golap colony

Byomkesh discovered a taped recording of Dr. Das playing the sitar in his room during the time of the murders, which contradicted his alibi. The recording was actually used as background music while Sen was killed, proving Das was not elsewhere as he claimed. Additionally, stolen jewelry and Sunayana's contract papers were found hidden in Dr. Das's possession.

Foreshadowing: Early in the investigation, Dr. Das is introduced as both a physician and sitarist, making his musical talent relevant to the case.

• dr das
• sitar
• alibi
• murder
• evidence

Dr. Das was married to Banalakshmi, who was actually the actress Sunayana in disguise. The couple worked together, Dr. Das exploited Sunayana's beauty and talent for financial gain, using her as a lure to attract victims. Sunayana participated in the cover-up while Dr. Das carried out the actual killings.

Foreshadowing: During the investigation, Byomkesh notes that Dr. Das had access to both the stolen jewelry and Sunayana's personal documents.

• dr das
• banalakshmi
• sunayana
• marriage
• exploitation

Byomkesh used an old photograph of Sunayana and systematically compared it to the women in the colony. Through careful deduction and analysis of the evidence, including the jewelry and contract papers stored by Dr. Das, he concluded that Banalakshmi was Sunayana with altered features from plastic surgery.

Foreshadowing: The plastic flower clue helped Byomkesh re-evaluate appearances and look beyond surface-level identities.

• byomkesh
• banalakshmi
• sunayana
• identification
• photograph

Murari was the son of the film's producer and was intimate with Sunayana. When he was murdered, cash and gold ornaments worth 20,000 rupees vanished from his room. Dr. Das orchestrated Murari's murder to cover up his broader criminal scheme and steal the valuables, framing Sunayana as the prime suspect in the process.

Foreshadowing: Ramen Mullick explains early on that Murari was murdered while Sunayana was with him, and she became the primary suspect before disappearing.

• murari
• murder
• robbery
• sunayana
• dr das

The plastic flower found in Byomkesh's room triggered him to reconsider the disguises and appearances among the colony's residents. This clue helped him realize that identities could be concealed and pushed him toward examining whether Sunayana had altered her appearance to hide among the employees.

• plastic flower
• clue
• disguise
• byomkesh
• investigation

Panu was a deaf-mute witness who had seen something relevant to the murders. Dr. Das killed him using the same bludgeoning method used on Sen to create a pattern and suggest a single mastermind was at work. Panu's murder was meant to eliminate a witness who could have identified the killer.

Foreshadowing: The second murder occurs in the same manner as the first, reinforcing the pattern of a calculated killer.

• panu
• murder
• witness
• deaf-mute
• elimination

Byomkesh discovered a tape of Dr. Das playing the sitar that was recorded during the time of the murders. He realized the recording was played as background music while Sen was killed, establishing that Dr. Das was actually present at the scene rather than in his room as he claimed.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Das is introduced as both a physician and sitarist, making his musical alibi seemingly credible.

• sitar
• recording
• alibi
• dr das
• evidence

Dr. Das was driven by financial greed and the need to cover up his criminal activities. He used Sunayana's beauty to lure victims, murdered them, and stole their valuables. When Murari was killed, 20,000 rupees and gold ornaments disappeared. He then killed Sen and Panu to eliminate witnesses and destroy evidence linking him to the crimes.

Foreshadowing: The investigation reveals multiple motives tied to wealth and hidden relationships among the colony residents.

• dr das
• motive
• greed
• murder
• financial gain

Sen was killed because he had hired Byomkesh to find Sunayana, which threatened to expose Dr. Das's entire scheme. If Byomkesh discovered Sunayana's true identity and the connection to Dr. Das, it would reveal the murders of Murari and the stolen valuables. Sen was bludgeoned with a blunt instrument before he could meet with Byomkesh for another discussion.

Foreshadowing: Sen telephones Byomkesh to arrange another meeting shortly before being killed, suggesting the killer learned of the investigation.

• sen
• murder
• bludgeoned
• byomkesh
• threat

Byomkesh used methodical investigation techniques: photographing all residents, recording interrogations with a voice recorder, and analyzing alibis. He questioned the sitar alibi by discovering the recorded tape, matched old photographs to current residents, and used the plastic flower clue to reconsider disguises. This systematic approach led him to identify Sunayana as Banalakshmi and Dr. Das as the mastermind.

• byomkesh
• detective
• method
• investigation
• solution