Mystery shrouds the death of a prominent Gaya-based trader, his wife and their three-year-old daughter after the in-laws of the businessman lodged a murder case with the police on Thursday.
Ratan Lal and Neelam Devi, the in-laws of Ravi Gupta, a pulses trader, have accused Gupta’s estranged elder brother Rajesh Gupta, sister Nisha Gupta and her husband Om Prakash Gupta of murdering the trio.
The senior superintendent of police, Gaya, Garima Mallik, has constituted a special investigating team (SIT) under deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Alok Kumar Singh to probe the case.
The two FIRs have made the case complex.
On February 13, Rajesh and Nisha Gupta had lodged a case against Ravi Gupta and his wife Nishi Gupta, since dead, alleging that they instigated their mother Geeta Devi to commit suicide. The case was based on the basis a diary, which Nisha recovered from her mother’s almirah after she had committed suicide on February 13. The same day, Nisha and Rajesh lodged an FIR against Ravi and his wife Nishi.
The police had come to interrogate the Ravi-Nishi couple on February 15. Later, the couple allegedly committed suicide in the wee hours of February 16. The police believe that the couple committed suicide after institution of the case against them and material evidence with the police against them.
{{/usCountry}}The police had come to interrogate the Ravi-Nishi couple on February 15. Later, the couple allegedly committed suicide in the wee hours of February 16. The police believe that the couple committed suicide after institution of the case against them and material evidence with the police against them.
{{/usCountry}}“The case is complicated. We are awaiting forensic findings, apart from autopsy report. Although circumstantial evidence points to suicide, especially after the recovery of poison, milk and writings on the wall of the room where the three bodies were found, it will be premature to jump to any conclusion,” Singh , who is heading the SIT, said.
The probe team is also looking into another FIR lodged by the in-laws of the trader and trying to ascertain the motive, if any, behind the killing.
Rajesh, who resides separately, has been charged with hatching a conspiracy to kill the family and grab their property.
“We are pursuing every angle in the case and only a thorough, scientific probe will unravel the truth,” the DSP added.