Thane (Maharashtra), Dec 11 (IANS): In a shocker, the bodies of a woman and her three minor children were found hanging from a tree near Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town, some 50 days after they were reported missing, police said here on Friday.

On learning of the incident, Shripat Bangri, 35 - husband of the deceased woman - allegedly consumed poison to end his life. He was rushed to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital where he is battling for life.

Bangri's wife - Ranjana, 30, and their three children, Darshana, 12, Rohit, 9 and Rohini 6 - were reported missing since October 21 for which he had lodged a police complaint.

Padgha police station is investigating the matter and the bodies have been sent for autopsy, said the investigation officer D.M. Katke.

Katke said that Bangri's brother, who had gone to the Ubarkhand-Pachhapur forests to collect firewood, saw the skeletal remains of his sister-in-law and her children hanging from a tree, and alerted him.

The police along with a forensic team which rushed to the scene, established the identity of the deceased on the basis of their clothes.

Katke said the case is being probed from various angles, including suicide or homicide, especially after it emerged that Bangri had reportedly got married after his wife Ranjana and their kids went missing.

Thane Divisional Police Officer (Rural) Navnath Dhawale said that this is second such incident in the district in the past three weeks after the bodies of 3 young men were found hanging in a jungle near Khardi in Shahapur taluka, on November 20.

Subsequent police probe revealed that the trio - missing since November 14 - had committed suicide after allegedly falling for some black magic that promised to make them immortal and wealthy.