Man found hanging, his wife and children with throats slit; cops say it was murder-suicide

The man had allegedly attempted to die by suicide, by slitting his wrist around three years ago, his family told police.

The body of a 31-year-old contractual Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus driver was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his home in a village near outer Delhi’s Rohini early Thursday, while his wife and two sons – aged 3 and 6 years – were found dead with their throats slit in the same room, police said.

The man’s brother said he was sleeping when he heard his brother quarrelling with his wife on the second floor around 2am on Thursday. He sent his wife to pacify the couple. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The police said a “suicide note”, purportedly written by the man, was found in the room and the contents of the note suggested that he allegedly murdered his wife and children before killing himself. Since the room was locked from inside, as of now, neither the family members nor the police is suspecting any foul play. The man had allegedly attempted to die by suicide, by slitting his wrist around three years ago, his family told police.

The one-page note mentioned that the man was upset that his two sons had developmental challenges. It went on to talk of other personal and family issues that he had, apart from concerns about his parents and grandmother, said a senior police officer who asked not to be named.

“Prime facie, it appears that the note was written by the man before he took his life. However, it will be examined by experts before it is confirmed as his,” the officer said, adding that they have learnt that apart from the man and his two children, his mother and grandmother too had mental health issues.

Police said the family lived in a single-room flat on the second floor of the building, while the first floor is occupied by his elder brother, a government hospital employee, his wife, a teacher, and their two children. Their parents and grandmother live on the ground floor.

The man’s brother said he was sleeping when he heard his brother quarrelling with his wife on the second floor around 2am on Thursday. He sent his wife to pacify the couple. “My wife returned after a few minutes and we went to sleep,” said the brother.

In the morning around 5am, the man’s father went to wake him up as he had to leave for his morning DTC bus duty. The father found the door locked from inside. When nobody responded to his repeated knocks, the father panicked and peeped into the room through a ventilation space after climbing onto a container drum. He found his son hanging from a ceiling fan and immediately raised the alarm, said the dead man’s uncle.

“The police were informed. A team arrived and broke open the door. My nephew’s wife’s body was on the floor while the bodies of their two children were on the bed. The police cordoned off the entire floor,” said the uncle.

Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Pranav Tayal said the bodies were shifted to a nearby government hospital for autopsy. “A case of murder was registered and it is being probed. The suicide note recovered from the scene is in the police custody,” said Tayal.

According to the man’s brother, the DTC driver often had quarrels with his wife, mainly over the health issues of their sons. “Our mother and grandmother also have mental health issues. My brother thought that his sons’ problems were genetic,” the brother said.

Around three years ago, the brother said the man had slit his writs at his workplace in Paharganj over what seemed to him “ a trivial issue”.

Psychiatrist Samir Parikh, director of Fortis National Mental Health Programme, said, “The concern about mental health issues is that we are either frightened by them or try to hide them. It is the responsibility of society, family, friends, relatives and neighbours to identify an individual’s mental issues early and get such persons timely treatment. Ensuring a support system for such patients may help avoid suicides.”

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialists. Helplines: Fortis Stress Helpline: 8376804102, Sumaitri: 01123389090, Snehi: 01165978181, Sanjeevani: 01124311918/01124318883.