The Curse of the Police Banyan Tree Shrine

NONTHANURI: A police investigation into the attempted murder-suicide by the wife of a police captain has taken a strange turn as a curse-cleansing ceremony was held at the police station’s banyan tree shrine.

Last week, Siripat Kongkla, the wife of Nonthaburi city police officer Kongcham Kongkla, reportedly shot their five-year-old daughter using her husband’s police-issue 9mm handgun before turning the weapon on herself. Mr Kongcham was taking a shower when the incident occurred. He then rushed his critically injured daughter to the hospital and alerted rescuers to help his wife.

Mrs Siripat was later pronounced dead at the hospital while their daughter, Prapilai “Beam” was unconscious and in critical condition.

During the ensuing police investigation, Mr Kongcham and neighbors of the Kongklas said that there were no apparent disputes or warning signs in the time leading up to the shooting. However, relatives revealed that Mrs Siripat had been complaining about the police station’s banyan tree spirit haunting her dreams on a regular basis.

The hauntings began when the family moved into police housing a month earlier and were warnings to Mrs Siripat that something bad would befall them if they didn’t moved. This led her to believe that the station was cursed by past misdeeds and grew depressed when she was unable to persuade