Four people from Bengaluru found hanging at dharmshala in Bihar’s Rajgir

Police cited a preliminary investigation and said it suggested the four had died days earlier even as the exact cause of the deaths remains unclear

The bodies of two men and two women from Bengaluru were found hanging in a room at a dharamshala (rest house) in Bihar’s Rajgir town on Friday, police said. The bodies were recovered after the Digambar Jain Dharamshala manager reported a foul smell emanating from the room.

Police said they were investigating whether it was a case of suicide or murder. (Shutterstock)

Police said they were investigating whether it was a case of suicide or murder. The four are believed to have been staying at the dharmshala since January 31.

Police cited a preliminary investigation and said it suggested the four had died days earlier. They added that the exact cause of the deaths remains unclear. Police said the dharamshala’s staff had not seen the four since Monday, when the room was last opened.

Investigators were awaiting autopsy reports. They questioned dharamshala in-charge, Mukesh Jain, and other staff. The dharmshala has 55 rooms, and most of them are occupied.

“The four people came to the dharamshala on January 31, saying they had returned from Nepal to visit Rajgir. One of them provided his Aadhaar card, saying he is a resident of Bengaluru. The others were without identity cards,” said Mukesh Jain. He said police have contacted the families of the four.

Rajgir sub-divisional police officer Sunil Kumar Singh said mobile call details, information about people they came in contact with during their journey, and CCTV footage were being scrutinised. He added that police were investigating the case from all possible angles, like suicide, monetary dispute, or any conspiracy.

Rajgir attracts thousands of tourists daily to Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda), Ghora Katora Lake, Naulakha Jain Temple, and Nalanda University.