Elderly couple found dead in bathroom, electrocution suspected

Mystery shrouds the death of an elderly couple whose bodies were found in the toilet of their house at Habra in North 24-Parganas early on Thursday morning.

Police suspect after preliminary investigation that they were electrocuted, but are yet to ascertain whether there was any foul play behind the death of the elderly couple – Narayan Halder (65) and his wife Anita (56).

A police officer said that the victim’s son and his wife were asleep in a first floor room of the two-

storey building. They heard the cry of their father for help and ran downstairs at around 1.30 am on Thursday.

They found both their mother and father lying unconscious on the floor of the toilet. The police have found some electric wires beside the couple’s body.

Police suspect that the woman had gone to the toilet first and got electrocuted.

Her husband, who was in the room adjacent to the toilet, rushed hearing her cry for help. He also got electrocuted when he attempted to save her.

Realising that his parents had got electrocuted, the victims’ son shut down the power supply of the house and entered the toilet to rescue his parents.

By that time some local people gathered.

They informed the police. Police sent the bodies for post-mortem examination to the Habra Hospital.

A police officer said that as per the version of the family members, there was no foul play behind the incident.

“But one question remains unanswered and leads to suspicion that how the live wire came inside the toilet,” the police officer said.

“We haven’t got much time to speak to the family members as they were performing the last rites of the victims,” he said adding that they will question some persons in this regard to know who used to visit the house almost every day.

The domestic help of the house may also be questioned if necessary.

“We would also ask how long back the electric wiring of the house was carried out for the last time. But we are waiting for the post-mortem report,” the officer said.