A woman, depressed about her family's finances, allegedly committed suicide on Thursday night after poisoning her two children.

Police said 25-year-old Shobha Devi, a resident of Narayanpur Khairi village, around 35km west of the Samastipur district headquarters, was depressed about the family's poor economic condition. Shobha and the children were found dead by her husband on Friday morning.

Ravi Raushan, the officer in-charge of the Vaini outpost, under whose jurisdiction the village falls, said: "Shobha fed her children, two-year-old Rita and six-month-old Sujeet, insecticide and poisoned herself around 9pm on Thursday. The police came to know about the incident on Friday morning when her husband Amarjeet Das (30) found them dead."

The police have detained Amarjeet for questioning, while the bodies have been sent to the Samastipur Sadar Hospital for post-mortem. Shobha's father, Ranjan Das, a resident of Patsara village in Muzaffarpur district, has ruled out foul play in the incident and does not blame his son-in-law.

Officers at the Vaini outpost, around 110km northeast of Patna, have asked Ranjan to come to Samastipur and contact the police. #Officer in-charge Raushan said: "Shobha married Amarjeet Das in 2006. Amarjeet is differently abled and cannot walk properly. Shobha and her children consumed the poison after dinner and went to sleep. Amarjeet said he came to know of the suicide around 6 on Friday morning when the three did not wake up. The police are investigating but the woman's father has also said she was under a lot of stress because of the family's weak economic condition. She always used to worry about her children's future. The police have lodged a case of unnatural death."

A source at Narayanpur Khairi village said: "Shobha intended to go to her father's house to see her grandmother, who was not keeping well. But she was unable to go because of the family's lack of finances. This must have depressed her even more and moved her to commit suicide."

Shobha's father, however, does not suspect foul play in the incident. "I am sure she committed suicide and there was no foul play. She was under a lot of stress as the family didn't have any money. I don't want to lodge a case against my son-in-law, as I am sure he has no hand in the incident," said Ranjan, in his 50s.

Man dead

The body of a 50-year-old vegetable seller, identified as Arjun Sah, was found hanging from a tree in the Gardanibagh area on Friday morning.

Police claimed Sah was a habitual drinker and had not returned home on Thursday night. The body has been sent for post-mortem.