Mysterious fire kills couple, child in Hazaribag

Hazaribag: A couple and their eight-year-old son died in a mysterious fire that broke out at their house in Lohartoli area of Okni locality under Lohsinghna police station of Hazaribag town early on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Munna Biswakarma (45), his wife Sonam Kumari (40) and his son Ayush Kumar. Two daughters of the couple — Bhumika Kumari and Kumsum Kumari — escaped unhurt as they were sleeping in another room with their aunt, Kalpana Devi.
SP Karthik S, who went to the spot, said all of them were burnt alive and the bodies were sent to the Hazaribag Medical College and Hospital. “A medical board has been set up by the deputy commissioner for post mortem of the bodies. An FIR has also been filed in connection with the incident at Lohsinghna police station,” he said.
The SP further said the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. “We have set up a forensic team to examine the cause of the fire which broke out at about 2.30 am. People of the locality alleged that some burning cloth was thrown inside the room where the victim, Biswakarma, was sleeping with his wife and son. Seeing the fire, the locals woke up and informed us and we called the fire brigade. We could take out the bodies only after the fire was extinguished.”
Talking to media persons, Kalpana said the family had gone to attend a marriage ceremony of their relative in the town and returned at about 2 am and went to sleep. She claimed that when they entered the room, someone whom they could not identify locked the door from outside and set fire to the house.
Police, however, refused to comment till the probe was over. The deceased, Biswakarma, was working as a clerk of an LIC development officer, D K Tiwari. The staff of the LIC department expressed surprise at why someone killed Biswakarma.