Rajendra Setu from where Rajkumar Jha threw his children. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, March 24: Police have intensified their search to nab Begusarai resident Rajkumar Sah, who threw his three children into the Ganga from Rajendra Setu in Barh area, 70km from the state capital, yesterday, said a police officer today.

They have also stepped up their search to recover the bodies of the girls — aged between one and five. But the cops have had no luck in either search.

A source said Sah had thrown his daughters, Bindiya Kumari (5), Rupa Kumari (3) and Anjali (1), as he was tired of his poverty. The incident took place around 9pm. But the cops came to know of it only at 11pm when a patrol party found Rubi Devi, the mother of the girls, sobbing near the bridge.

Hathidah police station house officer Devendra Kumar said: “Divers have been engaged and other police stations have been alerted. We are also trying to track down Rajkumar. Rubi is giving inconsistent statements at present. At first she said her husband had plunged into the river with the children. Then, she said he ran away. The search is on for both the children and their father.”

Rajkumar was a daily wage labourer. The family used to reside at Neerpur village under Refinery police station area in Begusarai district.

“It seems the man was suffering from a mental problem. The family had come here to get him treated by a local quack in the Banta Mor in Hathidah. The family was walking on the bridge. Anjali was in Rajkumar’s lap, the other two were walking beside him. The wife was around 50m behind them. According to the statement, the man suddenly threw Anjali into the water. Then he swiftly picked up the other two daughters and threw them into the river as well. After that he ran straight down the bridge,” Devendra said.

Shocked, Rubi did not know what to do. She sat down near the bridge and started weeping.

“At 10.45pm, a police patrol party spotted her and inquired. The whole matter then came to light,” Devendra said.

“We do not know whether it is a case of female infanticide at this moment. It could very well be that the quack told the man something and he took the step. We are getting to find the truth. The quack in question is also being searched. The woman does not know her address as all the papers were with the man,” another police officer said.

He added that patrolling along the Rajendra Setu was always regular and it was unfortunate that they could not prevent the incident.