Tragic Death of Chhath Vrati Sparks Investigation in Bihar | Patna News – Times of India
Patna: A 35-year-old Chhath ‘vrati’ was found dead with head injuries at her house in West Champaran district’s Bettiah in the early hours of Friday ahead of morning ‘arghya’.
Town police station SHO Manoj Kumar Singh said victim Madhubala Singh slept in a separate room at her Belbagh Colony house, while her husband Niddu and two children were in another room.
“The evening before, she had offered ‘arghya’ to the setting sun on the third day of Chhath at a local pond and came back home. In the night, she slept in a separate room. Her husband and two children were sleeping in another room. Her husband told us that he found her blood-soaked body lying on bed in the early hours of Friday. The incident might have occurred around 2am,” he said, adding there was no sign of trespassing or forced entry into the house. “The CCTV cameras installed in the neighbouring houses were scanned, but no suspicious activity was found. The woman was hit on head by some heavy iron rod. The forensic team has collected blood and other samples from the spot.”
Police, however, are not keeping the husband out of its ambit of suspicion, even as it was he who called them. “The woman’s husband, a property dealer, has a shady character. He is suspected to be involved in liquor trade and has also been to jail in a murder case some years ago. He also allegedly used to consume liquor regularly, leading to quarrels between the couple,” said SHO Singh, adding they are also investigating other “murder angles, including enmity or extramarital affair of her husband”.
So far, no written application has been received by the police as they said family members are busy with cremation. Further investigation is going on, the SHO said.
The body was sent for post-mortem at Government Medical College and Hospital, Bettiah.
The woman is survived by an 11-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son.
Town police station SHO Manoj Kumar Singh said victim Madhubala Singh slept in a separate room at her Belbagh Colony house, while her husband Niddu and two children were in another room.
“The evening before, she had offered ‘arghya’ to the setting sun on the third day of Chhath at a local pond and came back home. In the night, she slept in a separate room. Her husband and two children were sleeping in another room. Her husband told us that he found her blood-soaked body lying on bed in the early hours of Friday. The incident might have occurred around 2am,” he said, adding there was no sign of trespassing or forced entry into the house. “The CCTV cameras installed in the neighbouring houses were scanned, but no suspicious activity was found. The woman was hit on head by some heavy iron rod. The forensic team has collected blood and other samples from the spot.”
Police, however, are not keeping the husband out of its ambit of suspicion, even as it was he who called them. “The woman’s husband, a property dealer, has a shady character. He is suspected to be involved in liquor trade and has also been to jail in a murder case some years ago. He also allegedly used to consume liquor regularly, leading to quarrels between the couple,” said SHO Singh, adding they are also investigating other “murder angles, including enmity or extramarital affair of her husband”.
So far, no written application has been received by the police as they said family members are busy with cremation. Further investigation is going on, the SHO said.
The body was sent for post-mortem at Government Medical College and Hospital, Bettiah.
The woman is survived by an 11-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son.
