Man upset over wife's dance at religious event kills her, children, dies by suicide

A man allegedly killed his wife and two young children with an axe before dying by suicide after being hit by a train in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, police said on Saturday. Preliminary investigation suggests the family had been facing domestic disputes, allegedly triggered after the woman participated in a dance during a religious event earlier this month.

Police identified the deceased as Balram Kushwaha, his wife Ravita Kushwaha, and their two sons.

The incident took place in Kishanpur village under Mata Basaiya police station. According to police, Balram allegedly attacked his wife and children with an axe at their home on Friday night before leaving the house and reaching a nearby railway track, where he was killed by a passing train.

The crime came to light on Saturday morning when neighbours noticed no movement at the house. On peering inside, they found the bodies lying in the courtyard and informed the police. During the investigation, police also received information about a man's body on a nearby railway track, which was later identified as Balram.

Ravita's father, Malkhan, alleged that tensions in the family had escalated after his daughter danced during a Bhagwat Katha held in the village around 10 days ago. He claimed Balram assaulted Ravita after the event and refused to keep her at home, prompting her to return to her parental house on June 17.

According to the family, Balram and his relatives brought Ravita back to Kishanpur on June 24. However, disputes allegedly resumed after her return.

POLICE PROBE IS UNDERWAY

Morena DSP (Headquarters) Vijay Bhadoria said preliminary findings indicate that the couple had been experiencing prolonged domestic discord. He added that police suspect Balram killed his wife and children before taking his own life.

Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem examination and launched a detailed investigation to establish the exact sequence of events and confirm the motive behind the killings.

Officials said statements of family members and other witnesses are being recorded, while forensic evidence from the house and the railway track is also being examined as part of the investigation.

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With inputs from Hemant Sharma