Recovering from an illness, Byomkesh Bakshi travels to the Santhal Parganas in Bihar (now in Jharkhand) for a change of air, accompanied by his wife, Satyabati, and his friend and chronicler, Ajit Bandyopadhyay.
Concurrently, a talented but impoverished artist named Phalguni Pal starts approaching the same individuals with portraits he claims to have drawn from memory.
Through keen observation and logical deduction, Byomkesh works to solve the mystery without revealing sensitive personal matters of those involved.
Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's ability to weave complex characters into a gripping mystery has been praised by readers and critics alike.
The story is considered a significant work in Bengali detective literature and contributes to the enduring popularity of the Byomkesh Bakshi series.