Greater Noida: Couple found dead at home, 3 kids critical in suspected poisoning case

Officials privy with the investigation said they are still probing any probable motive in the case, as so far, no evidence of financial distress or any direct trigger has emerged

A husband and wife were found dead and their three children hospitalised in critical condition in Greater Noida on Thursday, investigators familiar with the case said.

The family was discovered unconscious inside their locked home after relatives raised an alarm on Thursday morning. Prima facie, all five showed signs of poisoning, according to additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), central Noida, Santosh Kumar. (Representational image)

Officials said they are still probing probable motives in the case including if it was a case of poisoning, possibly an instance of attempted murder-suicide by the parents. So far, they have found no evidence of financial distress or any direct trigger.

The incident occurred in Sadullapur village. The family was discovered unconscious inside their locked home after relatives raised an alarm on Thursday morning. Prima facie, all five showed signs of poisoning, according to additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), central Noida, Santosh Kumar.

They were rushed to a local hospital, where the parents, aged 42 and 38, were declared dead. Their children – a 10-year-old daughter, an 8-year-old son, and a 4-year-old daughter – were transferred to a Delhi hospital in critical condition. The mother was five months pregnant, police said.

“The matter is under investigation, but at present it appears to be a case of suicide,” said ADCP Kumar.

The father worked at a private factory and the mother was a homemaker. Police said there was no immediate indication of financial distress.

Based on the information given to the investigators by the 10-year-old daughter, police have so far established that the last meal consumed by the family was the dinner.

Then, at around 9 pm on Wednesday, the father called his own father around, first stating his wife was unwell and requesting a medical consultation, then calling again minutes later to say he felt faint. This is the last time his father heard from him, with no one picking up the phone the entire night.

On Thursday, at around 8:30 am, the 10-year-old woke up and told her grandfather that her parents were not waking up and that she and her siblings were not feeling well. They too reportedly had bouts of fainting and were feeling sluggish.

“Neighbours were alerted and the police were informed at around 9:30 am,” said Ajay Kumar Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Ecotech-III police station. “We reached the spot and shifted the couple to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead. The three children are currently in critical condition.”

Investigators are awaiting post-mortem and forensic reports to identify the poisonous substance, suspected to have been mixed in the dinner. Medical samples have been collected from the children and have yet to be tested, police said.

The bodies of the parents have been sent for post-mortem examination.

However, police have not been able to establish a motive, with no suicide note recovered from the spot. “So far, no information regarding financial distress, family disputes or marital conflict has come to light,” said the SHO.

“The family is originally from Jhunsi in Prayagraj district and had been living here for livelihood and employment purposes,” said Santosh Kumar, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), Central Noida.

Police continue to probe the circumstances behind the tragedy.