Suicide after divorce jolt in Bihar

One Sanjay Kumar, 32, committed suicide on the Munger court premises on Tuesday morning. Sources said Sanjay’s wife Neha had filed for a divorce and he was trying to convince her to withdraw the case.

Around 10am, Sanjay killed himself using a local country-made pistol.

According to sources, before killing himself, Sanjay slapped her when she refused to take back the case.

A resident of Choti Keshopur locality in Jamalpur township of Munger, Sanjay was earlier associated with a vernacular daily.

In 2007, he tied the knot with Neha Kumari (now 29) near Chandisthan in Munger township.

In 2009, the couple left for New Delhi, one of Sanjay’s friends said. Pritam, Sanjay’s friend from Munger accompanied them to Delhi. Sanjay had been working at a restaurant in New Delhi.

Sources said Neha and Pritam developed a relationship and in February 2014, Sanjay changed his residence to get rid of Pritam from Neha’s life.

However, within 2-3 days of shifting, Neha went missing. Sanjay searched frantically for her and tried to trace her on the basis of her mobile call details, a friend said.

Around 2-3 day back, Sanjay came to Munger and found out that his wife had filed for divorce in a local family court.

“He was very disturbed. We tried to calm him down. Sanjay was not ready to separate from his wife,” a friend recalled.

“On Tuesday morning, Neha went to the court accompanied by her family members where Sanjay was also present. He repeatedly requested his wife to withdraw the case. When Neha refused to do so, he slapped her. He then ran towards a narrow lane beside the fast-track court and shot himself dead,” said a lawyer of Munger court.

Neha’s parents, Sivnarayan Mandal and Sunita Devi, however, did not support the act of their daughter.

The station house officer of Munger Kotwali police station, Manoj Kumar, said Roushan Kumar, brother-in-law of the deceased, told the police that his sister (Neha) developed a relationship with Pritam and she decided divorce Sanjay.

The police have taken Neha into custody to interrogate her.

According to Manoj, an FIR was filed by Neha’s father Sivnarayan Mandal against her and Pritam for their illicit relationship. Members of Sanjay’s family preferred to be tight-lipped before mediapersons. Neha’s relatives, too, avoided journalists.