KEONJHAR: Raja festivities in Ullibasa village, about 40 km from Anandpur, turned into a tragedy when a villager allegedly killed his three minor daughters before ending his life on Friday.
Durga Siddu, a tribal, is believed to have beaten his three daughters with a stick to death and then committed suicide by hanging himself.
His neighbours could not know about the incident since the entire village was immersed in festivities. According to IIC of Anandpur police station Jagannath Biswal, Durga was finding it tough to look after his children - aged between six and nine - after his wife’s death three months back.
A daily wager and with no other source of income in the remote pocket of the district, he was not able to earn enough to meet the daily expenses of his family.
Frustrated with his plight, he allegedly took the extreme step. The matter came to light when none from the family was part of the festivities.
When villagers went inside, they saw the bodies in a pool of blood and informed the police. The deceased children were identified as Chabe Siddu (9), Chukulu Siddu (6) and Mukta Siddu (3). Police have lodged a case and investigation was on.