PATNA: A man was allegedly forced to consume poison by his wife during a quarrel in Samastipur district on Friday night. The incident took place in Ward number 9 of Musapur panchayat, under Ghatho police station area, and was witnessed by the couple’s two minor children.
According to police, Vikram Kumar Singh, a construction worker, is in a critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The situation turned grim when a dispute broke out between Vikram and his wife Vibha Devi over a domestic matter.
According to statements given by their children—Aryan (3) and Anushka (5)—their mother forcibly sat on their father’s chest, made him drink poison, and even threatened him with a knife. The children claimed she also stabbed him in the stomach, though there was no injury mark on his abdomen, police said.
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Soon after the incident, the local police were informed, who immediately shifted Vikram to the hospital. Vikram’s mother, Jyoti Devi, filed a formal complaint against her daughter-in-law, accusing Vibha of attempting to murder her son and alleging that she was involved in an extramarital affair. She claimed that Vibha had been mentally and physically torturing her husband for a while.
The incident comes months after Vibha had lodged a complaint in 2023 against her husband and in-laws under the Domestic Violence and Dowry Prohibition Acts. According to Dalsinghsarai SDPO Vivek Kumar Sharma, initial investigation suggests that the latest incident might have been orchestrated by the family as a tactic to pressure Vibha into withdrawing her previous case.
The SDPO said, as of now, no evidence has been found against Vibha.
Although Vikram claimed he had recorded the entire incident as proof, the footage is yet to be verified. The statements of the children seem to support the father’s version of events, but the absence of physical stab wounds has raised questions. The police interrogated the accused woman and said that investigation is still underway to determine the full sequence of events and uncover the truth.
Singh married Vibha, daughter of Mangal Mahato, a native of Harpur Elauth under Musrigharari police station area in Samastipur district, in 2016. Since the marriage, their relationship had reportedly been strained, culminating in multiple domestic disputes. Vibha most of the time used to stay with her parents.
