Bengaluru: Family of 5, including 9-month-old, found dead in house; police suspect suicide

Bengaluru: Five members of a family, including a nine-month-old male infant, were found dead at their home here, while a two-and-a-half-year-old girl child has barely survived the trauma and is undergoing treatment, police said. The bodies were discovered from their residence in the city’s Thigalarapalya on Friday night. The incident came to light when the head of the family, Hallegere Shankar, who was away, came home after four days, as his repeated calls to family members had gone unanswered. Police suspect that the deaths might have occurred four days ago, allegedly as part of a suicide pact. The deceased is Shankar’s wife Bharathi (51), daughters Sinchana (34), Sindhurani (31), and son Madhusagar (25), and nine-month-old grandson. While the four adults were found hanging from the ceiling in different rooms, the infant was lying on the bed and might have died of starvation, officials said, adding that the bodies were in a heavily decomposed state. Police have rescued Sinchana’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter who was found in a state of unconsciousness, due to starvation and termed her survival as a “miracle”. The girl was rushed to a nearby private hospital where she is undergoing treatment and has gained consciousness. Doctors have said her condition is stable, officials said. Apparently, Shankar’s elder daughter had separated from her husband and had been living with the family due to marital issues, while the younger daughter had come for the delivery, sources said. Police are questioning Shankar, who brings out a tabloid, about what might have led the family members to suicide, and his whereabouts for the last four days. Shankar told reporters that there were family issues, and one of his daughters had separated from her husband. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and further investigations are on. They said they are also questioning the neighbours.