What drove father to kill his three children before taking his own life in Jharkhand?

A tragic incident in Jharkhand’s Giridih district has left a village in shock after a man allegedly killed his three children before dying by suicide. The deceased, identified as 36-year-old Sanaul Ansari, was found hanging in his home, while his children—Afreen Parveen (12), Zaiba Naz (8), and Safaul Ansari (6)—were discovered lifeless nearby.

Edited By: Shantanu Poswal

Last Updated : 16 March 2025, 01:53 PM IST

man allegedly killed his three children before dying by suicide (Freepik)

In a tragic incident, a man allegedly killed his three children before taking his own life at Maheshliti village of the Pirtand police station area in Giridih district. The incident was confirmed by authorities on Sunday, creating shockwaves in the area.

The deceased have been identified as 36-yr-old Sanaul Ansari, his daughters Afreen Parveen and Zaiba Naz, and his son Safaul Ansari. According to preliminary investigations, the incident is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Sunday, around 2 or 3 a.m.

Neighbors make grim discovery during Sehri

The macabre scenario was discovered early on Sunday morning when neighbors noticed that Sanaul's home was unusually quiet during Sehri (pre-dawn breakfast during Ramzan) and made an effort to call on him. When frequent knocking on the door was of no use, they broke in and discovered Sanaul hanging, with his three children, who were found dead, in close proximity to him.

Police investigation underway

After being intimated, personnel of the Khokhara police station went to the incident location, while Dumri SDPO Sumit Prasad joined them. Officials then took the dead bodies for post-mortems at Giridih Sadar Hospital.

Reports so far indicate that Sanaul strangulated his children first before committing suicide. All conceivable motives for the attack are under investigation by officials.

Family and community in shock

Sanaul, who was a mason by occupation, also operated a small ration and clothing store from his house. His wife was not at home at the time of the tragic incident, as she had gone to her maternal house in Jamdha village two days prior. She came back to Maheshliti upon hearing the heart-wrenching news.

The motive behind this act of unthinkability is not yet clear. "We are examining all probable angles and will be questioning Sanaul's wife and his other relatives in order to figure out the background of this tragedy," SDPO Sumit Prasad said.

The people of the area are trying to find solace from the loss as the authorities continued their investigation into the shocking accident.