Army jawan kills wife,children then hangs himself

An army jawan,on a break from his duties,allegedly strangulated his two children and wife to death before he hung himself to death in a tribal-dominated village of Orissa’s Mayurbhanj district.

Army constable Paura Murmu (27) reportedly strangulated son Chhotu (6),daughter Laxmi (2) and wife Sala on Sunday afternoon at his home in Baghdega village under Badampahar police station. The bodies were found early this morning. “Murmu had come to his his home a week ago. Since yesterday afternoon the doors were shut. When no one came out for a long time neighbours smelled foulplay and alerted police at night. We broke upon the room to see Murmu hung from ceiling while his three family members lay dead. They seemed to have died 5-6 hours ago,” said Badampahar PS officer-in-charge JK Pradhan.

Incidentally,Murmu’s ageing mother was in another room of the house when the incident occurred. However police said the old woman was hard of hearing and hence may not have known anything. Murmu’s aunt,who also stayed with them had gone to the nearby field to mind the cows.

Police said they are yet to find out the reason behind the multiple murders and suicide. “His mother said there was nothing amiss at her home and her son and daughter-in-law got along well. The jawan was too young. We are still investigating,” said Pradhan. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.