Mumbai: 

Police take Eshwar Thevar's body for postmortem. pic/sameer markande

In a tragedy that shook Mulund last night, a family of five was found dead in their flat in Link Apartments opposite Wockhardt Hospital. The husband and wife were found hanging from the ceiling, while their three children had been poisoned to death.

According to ACP, Uttam Chopne, Eshwar Babu Thevar (39), a south Indian film distributor, was suffering from several diseases and was mentally disturbed for many months. "That seems to be the reason Thevar took such a step. We believe he couldn't cope," said Chopne. The dead included Eshwar's wife Amoti (33), their two sons Venkatesh (10),  Mani (8) and their daughter, Mahalakshmi (5).

When Thevar's younger brother Murugan, who lived with him, came home at around 12.30 am today, nobody answered the doorbell, despite repeated attempts.

He then broke the windowpane of their first floor apartment.

"It was a terrible sight. Murugan said he saw his brother and sister-in-law hanging from the ceiling, next to each in the bedroom. He did not go inside the house and called us. We broke open the door and inside, we found the three children lying in different rooms, frothing at the mouth," said Chopne. 

The Mulund police are investigating the matter and have registered a case of suicide, and have sent the bodies for postmortem to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar. The flat has been sealed and the brother, who was sitting outside the apartment, was in a state of shock and refused to speak. Friends and family were trying to comfort him.