Patna, Oct. 23: Crazy to draw media attention, indebted Dehri-on-Sone resident Shrawan Kumar allegedly poisoned his wife, three children and sister-in law, with whom he had an illicit relationship, in a city hotel to start a new life.

Police said Shrawan had borrowed lakhs from people of Dehri region to set up a ghee factory, which never came up. The lenders were mounting pressure on him for the money. He was also facing stiff resistance from his family members for extra-marital affair with his sister-in-law, Neelam Kumari.

In a bid to get rid of the twin pressures and start life afresh in Nepal, Shrawan allegedly served ice creams laced with poison to his wife Jaymala Devi (35), sons Adarsh Raj (9) and Akash Raj (4), daughter Anamika (5) and Neelam (26) on Saturday in room number 104 of Hotel Palika near the Chiraiayatand over-bridge.

Superintendent of police central Shivdeep Lande said: “Shrawan, a resident of Hurka village under Dehri-on-Sone sub-division in Rohtas district, had checked in to the room number 104 of Hotel Palika on October 5.”

Shrawan’s father Indradeo Singh, an agriculturist, said: “Shrawan left home with his family for Vaishno Devi on October 1. One day he informed us on phone that he was in Nepal. Everything was fine till then.”

On Saturday, Shrawan had left the hotel room around 4pm, ordering its employees to serve dinner to his wife and children around 9pm. When the waiter, Sudhir Kumar, went to the room around 8.45pm, he found it unlocked. Lights were also off.

On entering the room, Sudhir saw two women and three children lying unconscious in a bed and froth oozing out of their mouth.

Sudhir immediately informed the hotel manager, Dinesh Kumar, about the incident. Kumar immediately dialled the number of Kotwali police station and briefed them about the incident.

Lande said prima facie it appears Shrawan had enough money on him. He spent a good sum on food and the daily rent of the hotel room he was staying in with his children, wife and sister-in law was Rs 630.

Rajesh Kumar Rai, an employee of the hotel, said: “Shrawan used to clear the hotel bills at regular intervals.”

Denying to have heard any altercation between Shrawan and the two women, Rai said: “Jaymala and her cousin Neelam shared cordial relationship.”

The police suspect Shrawan fled to Nepal after committing the crime because some Nepali currency and a card of Pashupati Hotel of Kathmandu were recovered from the room of Hotel Palika. Two suicide notes of same handwriting but bearing different dates were also seized.

The note dated October 18 states: “I, Shrawan Kumar, is committing suicide as I have cheated many people.” The other dated October 22 says: “I, Jaymala Devi, and Neelam are committing suicide as we are fed up with life.

The accused, Shrawan, had a unique distinction of unsuccessfully contesting elections — from panchayat to Assembly polls. To fulfil his political ambitions, Shrawan developed intimacy with former MLA from Dehri Pradip Joshi, who was elected to the Assembly in 2005 as an Independent. Joshi had fought the election from behind the bars.

Like his political master, Shrawan also wanted to contest elections from jail. In a bid to do that, he violated the model code of conduct before the 2010 Assembly polls and was arrested.

“It is not that he was not familiar with other politicians of the state,” a close friend of Shrawan told The Telegraph. He said former minister Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha inaugurated the office of the Bihar Vishwa Shanti Samiti, of which Shrawan was the state president.

Shrawan was arrested recently also on the charge of instigating a mob, which set on fire the bus of a private school.

Back home, Shrawan’s father Indradeo said his eldest son Parasnath had left for the state capital to enquire about the incident.

Indradeo said Adarsh, Akash and Anamika studied at a Hurka-based school. He denied the report of any family dispute behind the incident.

An eerie silence prevailed at Hurka village, while Indradeo’s wife Phuleshari Devi (58) kept wailing relentlessly.

The father of Neelam rushed to Hurka from Tumba village under Amjor police station after getting the shocking news. Neelam was pursuing graduation from Radha Shanta College at Tilauthu (Rohtas).