A Trinamul Congress panchayat member, her husband and the eldest daughter were murdered with sharp weapons at their home in Cooch Behar district in the early hours of Friday.

The youngest daughter of Sitalkuchi panchayat member Nilima Barman suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital.

Bibhuti Bhushan Roy, 25, who was suspected to be the main accused, was caught by local people. Police have detained Roy’s two alleged accomplices also.

Sources said neighbours had heard a commotion accompanied by cries for help from Nilima’s residence around 4.30am. Sitalkuchi is in the Mathabhanga subdivision and about 50km from Cooch Behar.

Nilima’s husband Bimal Barman, 68, is the block president of Trinamul’s Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe wing.

The family included two daughters Runa, 24, and Iti, 22.

“Early in the morning, we heard screams from our neighbour’s home. We rushed to the spot only to find Nilima, her husband and the daughters lying in a pool of blood,” said Samina Bibi, a neighbour.

The quartet was immediately taken to the Mathabhanga subdivisional hospital where Nilima and Bimal were declared dead. Runa and Iti were shifted to MJN Medical College and Hospital in Cooch Behar where the former succumbed to the injuries. Iti is in a critical state.

The local people nabbed Bibhuti Bhushan Roy, 25, from the spot. Roy was known to Iti, who is a student of Sitalkuchi College. The police said the initial investigation suggested that personal reasons were behind the murders.

Amit Verma, additional superintendent of police, Mathabhanga, reached the spot. He said the police had detained three persons, including Roy.

“We have detained three persons, including Bibhuti Bhusan Roy, the main accused. The investigation suggests Roy entered the house with two other persons with sharp weapons. We are probing the case from different angles,” said Verma.

Roy, who was manhandled by the local people, was admitted to the MJN Hospital in Cooch Behar.