Mumbai: Four persons of one family found dead in Govandi; police probe on

A family of four, including two children, was found dead in their Shivaji Nagar residence in Govandi on Friday. The police suspect that the head of the family first killed his wife and children and then died by suicide.

According to the Shivaji Nagar police, the deceased have been identified as Shakeel Khan (34), his wife Raziya (25), their son Sarfaraz (7) and daughter Asiya (3). The police said that Shakeel used to run a grocery store in the same area where he used to stay with his family.

"Shakeel had not opened his store at his usual time on Friday morning and hence, one of his relatives came to check on him. When repeated knocking on the door did not elicit any response, the relative peeped into the house and saw the bodies, after which he raised an alarm," said senior police inspector Arjun Rajane, Shivaji Nagar police station.

The police were subsequently contacted and a team rushed to the spot. The door was broken down and while Shakeel was found hanging from a ceiling fan, the other three deceased were lying lifeless nearby. They were all rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were declared dead before admission.

"Preliminary investigations suggest that Shakeel may have fed some poisonous substance to his family before hanging himself. We have done a thorough inventory of the crime scene. No suicide note was found in the house or on the deceased, and as the door was locked from inside, foul play seems unlikely. Investigations are underway," Rajane said.

Inquiries in the area, too, have not yielded any clues. Neighbours of the Khans have told the police that they were a peaceful family and were never involved in any disputes or fights, nor did anyone know of any problems that they might have been facing.

The police have registered AccidentalDeath Reports (ADRs) in connection with the incident and are awaiting reports of their post-mortem examination to know the exact cause of death for all four deceased.

Published on: Friday, July 29, 2022, 01:38 PM IST