Suri, March 29: A young woman and her college teacher husband were found dead to- day at her in-laws’ place in Suri, 230 km from Calcutta, with police suggesting one or both were murdered.

Neighbours said her in-laws wouldn’t let Sukriti, 21, join husband Subrata Mondal, 32, whom she married just four months ago, at his new posting as lecturer of philosophy in Darjeeling Government College. Her father Swapan Mondal alleged she used to be tortured.

The police suggested she may have been throttled. “We have found evidence that Sukriti may have been murdered but we are yet to ascertain how Subrata died. We are waiting for the post-mortem report,” said Birbhum police chief Sanjay Singh.

When their bedroom door was broken open at 9 this morning, Sukriti lay dead on her bed with finger marks around her neck, the police said. Subrata had a piece of cloth tied around his while another piece of the same cloth hung from the ceiling fan.

“At first sight, it looks like he had committed suicide and that the noose had broken under his weight,” an officer said. “But doctors said they found finger impressions on the necks of both. They also found injury marks on Sukriti’s arms, suggesting a scuffle.”

When the couple were married last November, Subrata was posted at Ramananda Centenary College, Purulia. On March 7, he joined Darjeeling Government College.

“Sukriti was not allowed to accompany her husband to Darjeeling by her in-laws though she wanted to,” said Gopal Haldar, a neighbour.

Sukriti’s father Swapan, a resident of Mohammad Bazar, 30 km away, added she hadn’t been allowed to stay with her husband in Purulia, either.

Swapan said Sukriti had called him around 9 last night. “She said, ‘please come in the morning, father. I want to tell you something urgent’. I came this morning, only to hear she is no more.” He said he would lodge an FIR but hadn’t done so till tonight.

Subrata’s elder brother Bijon told the police he heard Subrata’s mobile ring away several times around 10 pm. “So, we think the deaths occurred before 10 pm,” an officer said.

The bodies were found by Subrata’s uncle Chandan.

The superintendent of Suri Sadar Hospital, Arunlal Mondal, said the post-mortem had been referred to Burdwan Medical College Hospital because “it is complicated”.