Four persons, including three minor children were burnt alive over a dispute in Rani village of Bhojpur district in Bihar late on Wednesday night, highly placed sources in the police department said on Thursday.

The police however, are maintaining that the fire was an accident.

According to the sources, an old man and his three grandchildren were killed by armed men, who set their house on fire.

"The room was locked from outside and they set the house on fire," a senior police official said.

The victims were identified as Lalbihari Singh, 60, Vicky, 10, Vikas, six, and Shivani, four.

Lalbihari Singh was under pressure to give false evidence in favour of an accused in a murder case.

Bhojpur Superintendent of Police Umesh Kumar said it was an accident.