Widow, minors’ deaths: Autopsy reports reveal woman electrocuted, daughters smothered to death

ALLAHABAD: Autopsy reports of the 35-year-old widow and her three children, who were found dead at their Aswa Daudpur village home in trans-Ganga on Thursday morning, have indicated that the woman was electrocuted and the minor girls were smothered to death.
Preliminary investigation into the deaths of Manju Devi, a bidi worker, and her children Priya (8), Annu (6) and Ritik (4) had suggested suicide, as the main door was locked from the inside.
However, the postmortem examinations are now questioning that theory of police and vindicating the bereaved family’s suspicions that the woman and her children were either murdered or the woman was forced to take the extreme step.
SSP Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj confirmed the autopsy reports on Friday and said a detailed probe had been ordered. “The mother was electrocuted and the minors suffocated to death, possibly on being smothered with a pillow. Forensic experts are looking for clues to nail culprits, if any,” he said.
Manju Devi’s parents have accused her two brothers-in-law, Mahesh and Dinesh, of harassing her since her husband Ramesh Bharatiya passed away four years ago. Mahesh and Manju’s father-in-law Shri Nath were detained for questioning on Thursday. The SSP said the role of the in-laws would be thoroughly investigated.