Former Malla royal shoots himself dead in Bengal's Bishnupur

A 62-year-old member of the former Malla royal family of West Bengal's Bishnupur shot himself dead on Saturday, police said.

Salil Singh Thakur shot himself in the head with his licensed pistol in the royal palace in Bankura district's Bishnupur in the morning. He died on the spot, they said.

Hearing the gunshot, the housemaid rushed to Thakur's room and found him lying in a pool of blood and informed the other members of the family, an officer of the Bishnupur police station said.

Thakur's neighbours claimed he was suffering from depression due to his physical ailments, he said.

An investigation is underway to ascertain the reason behind the suicide, the officer said.

Thakur is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, he said.

The Malla kings of Bishnupur ruled over the Mallabhum kingdom and were instrumental in constructing terracotta temples in the region