Jamshedpur, Jan. 19: A 30-year-old man, whose wife deposed in a murder case yesterday, was found hanging from the ceiling of his Balram Bustee residence in Sonari this morning.

While police suspect it to be a case of suicide, local residents claim Ratan Soy, a contract worker, was murdered to avenge wife Pinky’s deposition in the Abinash Pramanik murder case. The accused in the January 16 murder, Topno Samant, is absconding.

Twenty-two-year-old Abinash had gone missing from Balram Bustee two days ago and later his blood-soaked body was found on the premises of a construction company near River’s Meet.

Soy was found hanging in his room today, within 24 hours of his wife’s deposition before a judicial magistrate in Jamshedpur court.

Pinky told the court that around 1am on Sunday, Topno, who lived in Tilu Bhatta, had knocked on her mother-in-law’s door and sought fresh clothes since his were stained with blood. When the elderly refused to oblige, he burnt his clothes in her courtyard and forcibly took away Soy’s shirt and trousers from the house.

Fearing trouble, Pinky slept at a relative’s place yesterday. She returned home this morning to find her husband hanging from the ceiling.

Sub-inspector Lalit Kumar of Sonari police station said it was a case of suicide as the door was bolted from inside though Pinky said she wasn’t so sure. Local residents insisted that Soy was murdered by Topno because Pinky deposed against him.

Police today sent the body to MGM Medical College mortuary for post-mortem under a medical board. The autopsy is yet to be conducted. The sub-inspector said they would wait for the report.