JAMALPUR — Police detained retired railway employee Dashrath Mandal after he allegedly stabbed his wife Pooja Devi to death inside their residence in Bihar's Jamalpur and walked into the police station with his two young daughters to surrender.
Police immediately took the accused into custody.
Trouble had brewed inside the household hours before the fatal assault. An argument erupted between Mandal and Pooja Devi the previous evening, escalating through the night before turning violent in the early hours. Mandal allegedly pulled his two sleeping daughters—10-year-old Shrinikah and her younger sister Ishika—from their bed, restrained them with a scarf, and attacked Pooja Devi, stabbing her twice.
Piercing screams woke the eldest child.
The 10-year-old daughter witnessed the immediate aftermath of the assault and attempted to alert neighbors to save her mother. Mandal blocked the door. When the terrified girl insisted on shouting for help, the accused attempted to quiet her with a callous promise, telling her that her mother was dead and that he would bring home a new mother.
The child pushed back instantly. She told her father that no one could ever replace a mother.
Having subdued the household, Mandal covered Pooja Devi's body with a sheet. He did not flee. Instead, he gathered both daughters, walked straight into the Jamalpur police station, and reported the homicide to the officers on duty.
The 10-year-old eyewitness gave a direct account to station officers. She demanded the harshest possible punishment for her father.
Jamalpur police secured Mandal inside the station lockup, dispatched an investigative team to secure the crime scene, and sent Pooja Devi's body for post-mortem examination.
| Case Parameter | Official Status |
|---|---|
| Accused | Dashrath Mandal (Retired Railway Employee) |
| Victim | Pooja Devi |
| Crime Location | Jamalpur, Bihar |
| Alleged Offense | Fatal stabbing (twice) following domestic dispute |
| Key Witness | 10-year-old daughter (eyewitness testimony recorded) |
| Custody Status | Detained at Jamalpur Police Station |
Police officials are completing the formal First Information Report and preparing crime-scene seizure memos. Mandal will appear before a local judicial magistrate within 24 hours for formal custodial remand.