Purnea, Nov. 5: Body of a 25-year-old constable was found tied to the branch of a tree on the premises of Purnea Police Line under Khazanchihaat police station early this morning. The body, tied with a piece of cloth, was found in a kneeling position, with the knees of the deceased, Ajay Kumar Singh, touching the ground.

Police maintained it was a suicide as they found a note confirming the constable’s intention to kill himself but the circumstances in which the body was found did not support the claim. The branch from which the body was hanging was barely 6ft from the ground and the constable, who was 6ft tall himself, could not have got enough height to hang from the branch.

Police have recovered a suicide note that read Ajay, posted at Police Line, was frustrated with his life and did not want to live any longer. Police claimed the letter was written by Ajay.

Purnea superintendent of police Amit Lodha told The Telegraph: “Ajay met a few friends and confided in them that he did not want to live any more. He had left his quarter at 7pm yesterday and was found suspended from the tree on police line premises. A handwritten suicide note was found from his possession.”

“Who will dare to murder a policeman on the premises of police line? It will be too early to make any comment till the post-mortem report arrives. However, all the information that we have indicate that he (Ajay) committed suicide,” he added.

The body was handed over to Ajay’s parents after the post-mortem examination at Purnea sadar hospital.

Mukesh Kumar Singh, Ajay’s brother, told The Telegraph: “My brother was innocent, he cannot commit suicide. He has become a victim of a conspiracy of his friends. Two people of his department had approached Ajay with marriage proposals but he had turned them down. It seems that they conspired against my brother and murdered him. How can a 6ft tall man commit suicide by tying himself to a branch only six feet above the ground.”

Death mystery

Cops claim: Constable Ajay committed suicide as he was “frustrated with life”

Family claim: Some men killed Ajay because he turned down a few marriage proposals

The confusion: Circumstances in which Ajay’s body was found do not support suicide claim. Not found on Ajay read he did not want to live any more.