Man surrenders after killing wife, daughter

KOLKATA: Acute poverty drove a man to kill his wife and six-month-old daughter early on Saturday at his Deulpur house in the Panchla police station area in Howrah district.
Ranjit Malik(48) strangulated his wife Ruma(34) and infant daughter to death following a brawl. The police said Ranjit was in an inebriated state when he committed the crime. On Saturday morning, he surrendered at Panchla police station, confessing his guilt.
The police found that Ranjit had earlier been accused of killing a boy in a neighbouring village.
Though, Ranjit told the police that he was furious at his wife''s extra-marital affair, police investigations could not confirm it. The police said, Ranjit was jobless for quite a long time and the couple had a daily brawl over their poor economic condition.
His mother-in-law later told the police that Ranjit was trying to get possession of a fixed deposit of Rs 40,000 in Ruma’s name. On Friday night, he insisted on transferring the FD to his account.
She also complained that Ranjit used to extort the meagre amount Ruma used to earn by teaching toddlers. Ranjit spent his entire earnings from the odd jobs he infrequently picked up in his village. This turned their conjugal relations sour.