JD(U) leader’s brother, his wife and daughter found dead in Purnea; probe underway

The postmortem will be conducted by a medical board at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The doctor ruled out the possibility of natural death: Police

Purnea: A 52-year-old Bihar businessman — the elder brother of Janata Dal (United) leader Niranjan Kushwaha — along with his 48-year-old wife and 23-year-old daughter, were found dead at their residence in the district headquarters area late Tuesday night, police said.

SP Sahrawat said there was a ligature mark around the neck of the businessman. (Representative photo)

The postmortem will be conducted by a medical board at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Purnea Superintendent of Police (SP) Sweety Sahrawat said on Tuesday night.

“The forensic experts have collected the evidence from the spot. The doctor ruled out the possibility of natural death,” the SP said.

The deceased, Naveen Kushwaha, had contested the Lok Sabha election on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket in 2024.

“His wife, Kanchan Mala, was ill and their daughter, Tanu Priya, a student, had a head injury,” the SP said, quoting the JD(U) leader.

SP Sahrawat added, “There was a ligature mark around the neck of the businessman. All three were taken to a private hospital where the doctors declared them dead on arrival.”

Leaders from different political parties expressed condolences and visited the residence. “To me, it is a personal loss and we lost a businessman-cum-leader,” JD(U) leader Leshi Singh said.

“Prima facie, I won’t call it a natural death, and I think the postmortem report will reveal what actually happened,” Purnea lawmaker Pappu Yadav said.

Purnea will go to the polls on November 11, and campaigning ends on Sunday evening.