46-yr-old man, 4 daughters found dead in rented accommodation

In an incident reminiscent of the 2018 Burari case, five members of a family were found dead in their rented accommodation at Rangpuri, South West Delhi, the police said on Saturday. The victims included a 46-year-old man and his four daughters. The police are investigating the incident, with early evidence pointing to possible poisoning.

Mother passed away year ago

• The deceased were identified as Heeralal Sharma (46) and his daughters — Neetu (26), Nikki (24), Neeru (23) and Nidhi (20)
• Neeru and Nidhi were differently abled, and the family had been struggling since the death of Sharma’s wife, who passed away from cancer a year ago
• The police found three packets of celphos poison, five glasses and a spoon containing a suspicious liquid

The bodies did not have any injury mark. The police suspect it to be a case of suicide as no evidence of any foul play has been found.

According to a senior police official, the landlord, Nitin Chauhan, made a PCR call at 10.18 am on Friday. “The caller informed us that the tenant was not opening the door,” the official said.

Chauhan (37), a resident of Chauhan Mohalla in Rangpuri, told the police that his caretaker, Mohan Singh, noticed a foul smell coming from the tenants’ flat while cleaning the third floor. Despite repeated knocks, there was no response.

Upon arrival, the police, with assistance from the fire brigade, forced open the door. Inside, they found a man lying dead in one room and four women in another, according to DCP South-West Rohit Meena.

The deceased were identified as Heeralal Sharma (46) and his daughters — Neetu (26), Nikki (24), Neeru (23) and Nidhi (20). Neeru and Nidhi were differently abled, and the family had been struggling since the death of Sharma’s wife, who passed away from cancer a year ago.

“Sharma had worked as a carpenter at the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj for 28 years, earning Rs 25,000 per month. However, he had stopped attending work since January,” said the DCP.

Neighbours reported that the family had become reclusive after the death of Sharma’s wife and were last seen on September 24.

Close relatives, including Sharma’s brother Mohan Sharma and his sister-in-law Gudiya Sharma, arrived at the scene and confirmed that the family had distanced themselves. “He was deeply involved in the treatment of his daughters, frequently visiting hospitals. The daughters rarely left their room,” the police added.

Crime scene investigators, forensic teams and experts from Safdarjung Hospital’s Forensic Department were called to examine the bodies.

“No visible injury marks were found, but three packets of Celphos were discovered along with five glasses and a spoon containing a suspicious liquid inside the house,” the official added.

The police have initiated proceedings under Section 194 (death under suspicious circumstances) of the BNSS.