Dibrugarh, June 28: A woman and her two children were found dead at their rented residence at Milan Nagar here this morning, police said.

According to the police, Rinku Chauhan, 30, was found lying on a bed while her nine-year-old daughter, Kumkum, and three-year-old son, Yash, were found dead in another room.

They suspect the woman had committed suicide after killing her children.

"Till now things are sketchy because the investigation is at a preliminary stage, but the woman might have committed suicide by hanging herself before killing her two children. The incident happened around 7am," said Naba Kumar Bora, the officer in charge of Dibrugarh police station.

According to neighbours, her husband, Vyas Chauhan, had an altercation with his wife yesterday because of a "personal problem".

Chauhan, a mason, 35, who was not at his residence when the incident took place, found his wife and son hanging from the ceiling and his daughter lying on the bed.

He informed the police immediately.

"He told us that he had placed his wife and son on the bed after bringing them down from the ceiling as he thought they might have been alive," a police official said.

"We got to know about the incident around 8am," said Sandhya Kakoty, the owner of house, where Chauhan stayed.

The police said Vyas had admitted that he used to quarrel with his wife over Shivraj Thakur, a barber who works in a saloon at Milan Nagar, frequenting their place. "He said yesterday Thakur had come to his house to give an NRC form," a police source said.

"I did not like his visits to our place as his father had spread a rumour that I owed money to him. Yesterday, I had an altercation with my wife and slapped her because she tried to hide the fact that Shivraj had come to our house. This morning I left home at 4am to meet him and had a spat with him. And when I returned, I found the three in that state," Chauhan said.

The police have detained Chahuan and Shivraj Thakur for questioning.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem at Assam Medical College and Hospital.

"Right now we cannot say anything because the investigation is at a preliminary stage," said H. Barman, additional superintendent of police (headquarters).

"They were a good couple and hailed from Bihar. We let out our house to them last July We have not seen or heard any quarrel between the husband and wife earlier. But yesterday at around 8pm I heard a quarrel between husband and wife and the woman had cried as well," Kakoty said.

Asked about the possible reasons for rise in incidents of people killing their immediate family members, psychiatrist Jayanta Das said it was difficult to comment on specific incidents without knowing the background of each case.

Das said increase in stress levels because of rapid change in inter-personal relationship, including marital bonding, financial problems, declining social connect leading to loneliness, increase in consumerism and high levels of frustration could trigger such incidents. "It has been observed that anxiety disorders and depression are mostly responsible for people indulging in domestic violence and other violent crimes," he said."We need to do an in-depth psycho-social analysis to find out the exact reasons for rise in such tragic incidents."

POLICE FILES

June 20, 2015: Farmer Naliram Kro stabs his wife and two children to death and surrenders before police at Panjuri Langhing Krogaon under Dokmoka police station in Karbi Anglong district

June 20, 2015:Businessman Pranab Mahanta allegedly murders wife Priyanka and two daughters at their house at Hatigaon in Guwahati. Police find Mahanta’s car near the Brahmaputra, fuelling suspicion of his suicide after killing his family. Mahanta’s body yet to be found 

May 25, 2015: Tea garden worker Chupai Munda kills wife Rupali, daughter Bobby, 5 and son Raj, 2, with a dagger at Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur district for her alleged extra-marital relationship 

Feb. 28, 2015:Ranjit Mandal allegedly kills 9-year-old daughter and commits suicide in lower Assam’s Barpeta district. Mandal found hanging from a tree behind his house. His daughter’s body found nearby at Besimari village