Five of family found dead in Bihar's Bhagalpur

Patna, Aug 13 (IANS) Five of a family, including a woman constable, were found dead in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district, an official said on Tuesday.

This incident came to light with the discovery of the bodies in the police quarters in the district. The dead included a constable named Neetu Kumari, her husband Pankaj Kumar, their two children, and Pankaj's mother.

Vivekanand, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Bhagalpur range said the incident appeared to be linked to a family dispute, which could be the primary reason behind the incident. The incident probably occurred on Monday night and district police learned about the incident on Tuesday morning.

“A suicide note, believed to be written by Pankaj Kumar, was found at the scene. Pankaj was discovered hanging from a ceiling fan. The preliminary investigation suggests that Pankaj Kumar may have murdered his wife, Neetu Kumari, his mother, and their two children before taking his own life,” he said.

Neetu Kumari had been serving as a constable since 2015 and was residing in the police line with her family. She and Pankaj Kumar had a love marriage and were raising their two children together. Pankaj's mother also lived with them in the official quarters.

“The incident appears to have stemmed from ongoing marital issues between Neetu Kumari and her husband, Pankaj Kumar. Recently, their relationship had deteriorated due to Pankaj's suspicions that Neetu was involved in an extramarital affair. These suspicions led to frequent quarrels, including one in the evening before the incident. However, Neetu did not report the matter to the police,” Vivekanand said.

The victims were originally from the Buxar district, and the rest of the family members have been informed, said the officials. The police are continuing their investigation to gather more details and clarify the circumstances leading to this horrific incident.