Jamshedpur, Feb. 18: Narottam Mishra perhaps knew those who killed him and his family quite well to allow them overnight stay in his house.

Circumstantial evidence and version of the neighbours, gathered by the police, point the needle of suspicion at a group of persons who had come in a car to Mishra?s house on February 11 and left in the wee hours the next day.

The bodies of 55-year-old Narottam Mishra, his wife and two children were found in a decomposed condition in the victims? Mithila Colony house at Sidhgora on Thursday morning after neighbours complained of an unbearable stench.

?Mishra was a not a very social man and let very few people into his house. Moreover, as disclosed by the neighbours, the car had arrived at his residence around 12 midnight. Only people who are close would come at such an hour,? said Sakaldev Ram, officer-in-charge of the Sidhgora police station.

A police team that went to the victims? house today to collect evidence and question the neighbours confirmed that the persons who stayed overnight February 11 might have carried out the murder.

Police said they have found evidence that suggest that the killers felt at home. The bed in the guest room, on the ground floor of the two-storied house, was unkempt suggesting that someone had occupied it. ?The murder is suspected to have been committed between 2 am and 3.30 am on February 12,? Ram said.

The assailants are suspected to have first killed Mishra and then strangulated his wife Sapna and the two children ? Raja and Rani. Blood marks were found on the wall of the room where Narottam was sleeping.

Two hand-gloves have also been recovered from the room where Mishra?s 13-year-old daughter was found lying dead on a cot.

Deputy superintendent of police (city) S.K. Kujur said the assailants might have used some chemical substance in the killings. He said the police team has found presence of chemicals in all the three rooms where the bodies were found. The police have also come across the fact that Narottam, who lived a lavish life, had consumed alcohol at the house of a friend, Kashi Giri, in Baridih on February 11 night. He had gone to Giri?s house along with his family to attend a dinner party.

The police today carried out a through search of the victims? house. Twelve bank passbooks and a personal dairy were recovered from an almirah.