Patna, Nov 9 (IANS): In a tragic incident, a Chhath devotee was found murdered under suspicious circumstances in Bihar’s Bettiah city in the wee hours on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Madhubala Devi, wife of Needu Singh from Belbag Bengali Colony.

According to Bettiah Police, Madhubala had observed the Chhath festival and, after offering the evening Arghya, retired to her room to rest.

Sometime during the night, an unidentified man entered her room and smashed her head with a sharp edge weapon. The murder probably took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Her family was unaware until they discovered her dead body in the morning, at which point they promptly notified the authorities.

Vivek Deep, SDPO of the Sadar range in Bettiah, stated, “As soon as the information about the incident was received, the police from the town police station and a forensic team reached the spot to initiate an investigation."

The unusual nature of the event has raised concerns in the local community, as the entire household was asleep at the time, leaving them clueless of what occurred.

Authorities are now conducting a detailed investigation to find out the circumstances surrounding the murder.

Vivek Deep confirmed that a comprehensive investigation is underway, involving a dog squad, forensic team, and the technical branch, to examine all possible angles in the incident involving Madhubala Devi.

After discovering her murder, the district police recovered the dead body and sent it to Bettiah Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem.

“We are working to ascertain the exact cause of the incident. Every angle is being scrutinised. We are taking the statements of the family members as well as neighbours and also scanning the mobile phones of the victim and her family members to get some clues about the incident,” Vivek Deep said.

As authorities work meticulously to unravel the details, updates are expected which will shed light on the circumstances leading to murder.