Pune, Sep 6 (IANS): Believing that he and his family were victims of black magic, a 30-year-old man here strangled to death his wife and daughter and then set his two other children afire before killing himself early Thursday, police said.

The shocking incident took place around 5.30 a.m. in Kothrud locality. Parshuram Mallappa Kalkatti, a labourer from Karnataka, overpowered and strangulated his wife Gayatri, 30, and daughter Payal, 7, as they slept in their hutment.

Kalkatti then dragged his second daughter Manisha, 5, and son Karan, 3, on the road and dumped them in a garbage van. As they shouted for help, he set them on fire, police said.

Thereafter, he set himself on fire and sustained severe burn injuries. He was found dead later by locals.

According to police, Gayatri's mother said that her son-in-law believed that he and his family were victims of black magic, which was responsible for the ills plaguing them.