Four of family found dead in outer Delhi, cops suspect murder-suicide

Police suspect that the 45-year-old man poisoned his 38-year-old wife and their children — a five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter— before hanging himself.

Four members of a family — husband, wife and their two minor children— were found dead at their rented home in outer Delhi’s Samaypur Badli on Tuesday morning, police said, adding that prima facie, it appeared to be a case of murder-suicide, the motive for which is still being investigated.

A view of the room where four members of a family, including two children, were found dead at their residence in New Delhi’s Samaypur Badli on Tuesday. (Amal KS/HT Photo)

Police suspect that the 45-year-old man poisoned his 38-year-old wife and their children — a five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter— before killing himself by hanging. Police said they are yet to find evidence of an outsider’s role in the deaths, but further investigation is on in the case and they were also trying to ascertain the type of poison that may have been used and also the motive.

“We reached the spot after receiving a call from the dead woman’s sister, who lives in a different portion of the same house. A man was found hanging from the ceiling fan, while the others were found lying unconscious. The girl had frothed from her nostrils, but there were no injury marks on her body. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of poisoning and suicide, subject to verification by a post-mortem examination,” said Brijendra Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police, (outer-north).

Police said the bodies have been sent for an autopsy and they are awaiting the reports.

The woman’s mother said she too got a call from her elder daughter alerting her that her second daughter’s husband was seen hanging from the ceiling fan, while the others were lying unconscious on the bed and sofa.

“I was shocked to get that call. I still did not believe her and rushed to their house. When I saw police around the corner, my worst fears were confirmed,” said the mother.

She told HT that her second daughter had left her marriage for another man, who lives in Mundka, two months ago. “He had promised her a luxurious life and she was lured by those promises. But she started everyone at home and so she returned on Saturday. I was there with her and my son-in-law all through Saturday to help them sort out their differences. Towards the end of the day, they agreed to start afresh. Little did I suspect that something like this would happen,” she said.

The woman’s elder sister lives in a separate portion of the house in Samaypur Badli with her husband and three sons.

“ My niece used to come visit me every morning around 8am, but on Tuesday, when she didn’t turn up till 8.45am, I went knocking on their door. Troubled by the lack of response, I asked my younger son to open the lock from inside after breaking open a window near the door. He did as I asked and was shocked to see my brother-in-law hanging from the ceiling fan and the others lying unconscious,” said the sister.

She said she immediately informed the police and relatives. “We rushed to the spot. It looks like the man murdered the three members of his family and hanged himself. Their neighbours said that the family lived in the rented house for the past 20 years. Relatives said the family was financially distressed as well,” said a police officer associated with the case, asking not to be named

All four of them were rushed to the hospital where they were declared brought dead, police said. Teams from the forensics unit and crime branch also inspected the spot.