A woman and her three daughters died, allegedly after consuming poison, in Bahuara Harivansh village under the jurisdiction of Kalyanpur police station on Tuesday night following unrest between the girls' parents over arranging dowry for their marriages.

The couple had six daughters - three already married - and a son. Relations between Prema Devi and her husband Raghunath Ojha were strained for the past 4-5 years. Residents said Raghunath, a teacher at a private school, was more caring towards his brothers and their families than towards his own family.

The three daughters found dead were Amrita (18), a BA second part student at SRAP College, Chakia; Soni (15), a Class IX student at the Kesariya high school; and Guddan (13), a Class VIII student at the local middle school. Their only brother was a BTech student somewhere in south India, neighbours said.

The three sisters died at night at the Kalyanpur public health centre. Their mother died at the sadar hospital on Wednesday morning.

The government runs several schemes to ensure security of the girl child, their education and marriage. But the alleged suicides paint a poor picture about the measures.

Following a statement by Prema's brother Raghunath Pandey, the police have registered a case that names her husband Raghunath Ojha and his two brothers Vishwanath Ojha and Suresh Ojha as accused. The accused are absconding. Pandey has accused them of torturing his sister and held them responsible for the tragedy.