Man, 4 daughters found dead in their rented accommodation in Delhi's Vasant Kunj
Neighbours reported family had rarely been seen since death of man's wife, and they were last spotted on September 24
New Delhi, Updated At : 10:56 AM Sep 28, 2024 IST
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In a chilling case of suspected collective death, five members of a family were found dead in their rented accommodation in Rangpuri in South-West Delhi, police officials said on Saturday.
The victims include a 46-year-old man and his four daughters. Police officials are investigating the incident, with early evidence suggesting possible poisoning.
According to a senior police official, a PCR call was made by Nitin Chauhan, the landlord of the deceased family 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 on the door, there was no response.
Upon arrival, the police, with the assistance of a fire brigade team, forced open the door. Inside, they found two rooms. "A male was found lying dead in the first room, while four females were discovered dead in the second room," the DCP South-West, Rohit Meena said.
The deceased have been identified as Heeralal Sharma, aged 46, and his daughters – Neetu (26), Nikki (24), Neeru (23), and Nidhi (20). Neeru and Nidhi were differentlyabled, and the family had been reeling under hardships since the death of Heeralal’s wife a year ago due to cancer.
"Heeralal was employed as a carpenter at the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Vasant Kunj for 28 years, earning Rs 25,000 per month. However, since January 2024, he had stopped attending work," said the DCP.
Neighbours reported that the family had rarely been seen since the death of Heeralal's wife, and they were last spotted on September 24.
Close relatives of the family, including Heeralal's brother Mohan Sharma and his sister-in-law Gudiya Sharma, arrived at the scene and confirmed that the deceased had withdrawn from family affairs. "He was deeply involved in the treatment of his daughters, frequently visiting hospitals. The daughters rarely left their room," the police added. Crime investigators, forensic teams and Safdarjung Hospital's Forensic Department, were called to examine the bodies.
"No visible injury marks were found on the bodies, but three packets of Celphos poison were discovered along with five glasses and a spoon containing suspicious liquid inside the house," the official added.
The police have initiated proceedings under Section 194 (death under suspicious circumstances) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) which deals with suspicious death inquiries.
"A medical board has been constituted to conduct the post-mortem of the deceased. Further investigations are ongoing from all possible angles," the senior official said.
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