Muzaffarpur: In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through Muzaffarpur, a father allegedly took his own life along with three of his daughters on Monday morning, while two sons narrowly escaped.
The family, living in Navalpur Mishrauliya village under the Sakra police station jurisdiction, was reportedly struggling with severe financial difficulties. The deceased have been identified as Amarnath Ram, 40, and his daughters Radha Kumari, 11, Radhika, 9, and Shivani, 7. The two surviving sons, Shivam Kumar, 6, and Chandan, 4, were able to flee the house and alert neighbours.
Shivam, recalling the harrowing moments, said his father used his late mother’s saree to hang all five children from the roof and instructed them to jump from a trunk. “I jumped, but when I felt the noose tightening, I loosened it and freed myself. I untied my brother and ran outside shouting for help,” he said.
Neighbours described the family as living in dire conditions. Amarnath’s wife had died around Holi last year, leaving him to care for the five children alone. The family survived on irregular income from odd jobs and government rations. Villagers said the children were not attending school due to financial constraints and that the family home—a mud and thatch structure—lacked basic amenities such as electricity and fans.
Sitaram Ram, the deceased man’s brother, said: “He didn’t have a regular job and struggled to feed his children. When Shivam came to me at 4am saying that his father had hanged everyone, I immediately rushed to the house. I saw my brother and three nieces hanging.”
Muzaffarpur DSP East-2 Manoj Kumar Singh said police had reached the scene and were investigating. “The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. The cause of death is not yet confirmed, though it appears to be suicide. The surviving children are being questioned, and an FSL team has been deployed,” he added.
