Tuesday, 16 May 2023 | PNS | BAGESHWAR/DEHRADUN
Accused called mother twice before committing suicide: police
The Pithoragarh police on Monday found the body of the quadruple murder accused Santosh Ram (40) who had allegedly killed four women of his family including his wife Chandra (35) on Friday in Bursam Gram Panchayat area of Gangolihat Tehsil of the district. He had allegedly committed suicide the same day he killed the victims after calling his mother twice, said the police circle officer of Pithoragarh Mahesh Chandra Joshi. He told The Pioneer that after killing the victims, the accused Santosh had called his mother twice on Friday morning informing her about the murders he had committed. “You have not woken up yet, I have killed four women including your daughter-in-law,” he said this to his mother in the first call on Friday, said the CO. He said that Santosh called his mother soon again and said that he will soon commit suicide too. “This is the reason we had been looking extensively in forest areas. We found his body hanging from a tree nearly four kilometres away from his house. Looking at the decomposing condition of the body, it appears that he had committed suicide the same day.
The police have taken the body in custody to carry out the necessary procedure as per the protocols,” said Joshi. The CO said that the alleged psychopathic tendencies of Santosh along with his potential jealousy against his cousin’s family appears to be the cause behind quadruple murders. Santosh was unable to perform the Choliya dance anymore due to a leg injury sustained last year, like his cousin Pratap with whom he used to perform earlier. Joshi said, “He was quite a reputed and famous Choliya dance performer in the area and used to perform at various events along with Pratap. He allegedly became bitter towards his cousin and his family and started getting into arguments and fights after he could not perform anymore. Some also complained to authorities a few months ago when Santosh started roaming around with a sharp weapon around the village.
Pratap had reportedly gone to Champawat for a Choliya dance performance on Friday when Santosh killed his family. His wife also allegedly used to blame him for the fights which is why he probably killed her too.” The police informed that the accused has left behind his four children- two sons and two daughters. The oldest one is pursuing graduation from Champawat and the youngest one studies in class VIII, as per the police. Santosh’s mother gets an old age pension and his wife used to earn livelihood for the family through domestic animals as he was mostly unemployed.
