The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has started investigation into the mass suicide of four members of a Mahadalit family residing at Nawalpur Mishrauliya locality under Sakra police station in Muzaffarpur district, police said on Thursday.
The incident shocked the entire state as three girls, all minor, died along with their father.
The incident took place on early Monday when Amarnath Ram along with his five children, including three daughters, attempted suicide by hanging them and himself. He and three daughters died, while two sons survived . Sons later informed the neighbours who broke into the house.
The locals of the village said that Amarnath was dealing with poverty issues and after the death of his wife 10 months back, he found it very hard to raise his five children. Some alleged that he was under pressure after borrowing money from a private finance firm. Meanwhile, police and authorities also suspected the role of local moneylenders and decided to probe the incident thoroughly.
“The need for CID probe was felt after contradictory reports about the role of money lenders. The family members hinted towards this,” said a senior police officer of police headquarters.
On the direction of Bihar police chief Vinay Kumar, a CID team led by a DSP rank police officer visited the spot and inquired about the incident. Additional Director General (CID) Paras Nath confirmed the development and said that the investigation team was entrusted with the responsibility of collecting all the circumstantial facts in and around the place of occurrence besides social and economic aspects. The team is also probing whether the victim’s family has got the benefits of government schemes in that area or not. It will also be an important point of investigation whether the family was victim of any kind of debt, pressure or targeted by illegal moneylenders.
Senior officials clarified that instructions have been given to Muzaffarpur SSP Sushil Kumar to provide all cooperation to the CID team so that the truth can come out and if any negligence or role of criminal elements is found at any level, then strict action can be taken against him/them.
Investigation by the local police found that Amarnath’s house, where he resided with his five children, was built under Indira Awaas Yojana during the time of his father Tuntun Ram. The house was covered with a brick wall and the door wall made with wood and bamboo. The rooftop was covered with asbestos. There was an electricity connection in the house with a fan and a bulb in two rooms. There was no toilet in the house. There was a big chowki (wooden bed) in one of the rooms where Amarnath slept with his five children. The second room belonged to his brother Shivnath Ram. Amarnath’s three daughters and one son were enrolled in the nearby secondary school and all of them attend classes. The youngest son was not enrolled. One of the daughters was found hanging in her school dress.
Bihar Congress state president Rajesh Ram on Monday reached the spot and talked with Muzaffarpur DM over phone regarding the proper care of Amarnath’s sons and urged him to provide benefits of government schemes.
While talking to the media, Ram said that due to financial crisis and poverty, some families are committing suicide by hanging themselves along with their children. “This is a stigmatising incident for the Bihar government and a question mark on the empowerment of Dalit families. In many places people are forced to leave their homes and run away due to being burdened with debt,” said Rajesh Ram, adding that he is demanding from the government to conduct a survey of those people who are in poverty and starvation.
Amarnath’s sister told HT that her brother was a labourer by profession and has been suffering from financial conditions. His wife also died due to illness 10 months ago. Amarnath was somehow surviving in poverty with his children.
At present the district administration has kept both the sons in Ambedkar Residential School.
hanged themselves while two sons survived somehow. The family had reportedly had dinner together before the horrifying incident. The kitchen had broken eggshells, suggesting that the victim’s family cooked eggs and consumed them before the tragic end.
