A 32-year-old man allegedly murdered five members of a family including a married woman who had rejected his marriage proposal and her minor son before committing suicide in Chhattisgarh's Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district on Saturday, police said.

The grisly incident took place in the wee hours at Thargaon village under Saliha police station limits, some 200 km from Raipur, district Superintendent of Police Pushkar Sharma told PTI.

Those killed were identified as Hemlal Sahu (55), his wife Jagmoti Sahu (50), their daughters Meera Sahu (30) and Mamta Sahu (35), and Meera's son Ayush (5). Accused Manoj Sahu, a resident of the same village, was found hanging in another room, the official said.

After being alerted by locals, a police team rushed to the spot and sent the bodies for autopsy, the official said.

As per preliminary information, Manoj, armed with an axe, entered the house and killed the victims when they were asleep and then hanged himself with a saree, the SP said.

Manoj was a tailor by profession and had proposed marriage to Meera years ago but she had rejected the proposal, Sharma added.

"In 2017, a First Information Report was registered against Manoj for allegedly assaulting Meera and her family members. The trial in the case was underway," he added.

Meera's husband works in Raipur and she was visiting her parents' house with her son, the police official said.

Manoj was unmarried.

A case has been registered and further probe is underway, the SP said.

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