Thane, Nov 22 (PTI) Two days after bodies of three men were found hanging from a tree in a forest area in Shahapur tehsil of Maharashtra's Thane district, investigation has revealed that they ended their lives under the belief that they would attain 'nirvana', an official said on Sunday.

A fourth man was also going to end his life along with the trio. However, he changed his mind at the last moment, he said.

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"The trio, identified as Nitin Bere (35) Mahendra Dubele (30) and Mukesh Dhavat (22), all residents of Khardi village, ended their lives by hanging themselves from a tree using three sarees on the night of November 14, which was amavasya (no moon night). A fourth man was also a part of that plan. However, he backed out at the last monent," the official said.

"Bere had convinced the trio that if they do so, they would attain nirvana. Accordingly, they tied the sarees to the tree in the jungle area of nearby Chande village and hanged themselves," he added.

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Before that, they had consumed liquor under the same tree.

Their bodies were recovered on Friday.

Police have registered a case of accidental death and ruled out any foul play in the incident.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)