Man, 4 daughters found dead in Delhi's Vasant Kunj, police suspect suicide

The police on Saturday said that the decomposed bodies of a 46yearold man and his four daughters two of them differentlyabled have been found in their rented accommodation in southwest Delhis Vasant Kunj area reported news agency PTIThe deceased have been identified as Heeralal Sharma who worked as a carpenter at the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Delhis Vasant Kunj for the last 28 years and his four daughters Neetu 26 Nikki 24 Neeru 23 and Nidhi 20 reported PTIThe bodies found on Friday afternoon did not have any injury marks Police found three packets of poison five glasses and a spoon containing a suspicious liquid from the housePolice suspect it to be a case of suicide as no evidence of any foul play has been foundFamily suicide pact All 4 girls were graduates father a Lord Hanuman devoteeHeera Lal Sharma and his four daughters aged between 20 and 26 years who died in a suspected suicide pact in their rented home in a village in Delhis Vasant Kunj had turned recluse after the death of his wife in August last year and the family appeared to be struggling with emotional and financial stress according to investigators reported PTIAccording to their acquaintances the family was very religious and they would perform prayers every day The father was a devotee of Lord Hanuman and would fast every TuesdayA CCTV footage from Tuesday evening September 24 has surfaced in which Sharma can be seen going inside the building where his house is on the third floor He was also carrying a packet of sweets with him The police suspect that Sharma and his daughters had consumed the poisonous substance and the sweets on the same day reported PTIPrima facie the police suspect it to be a case of suicide but no note has been found from the house as of now reported PTIWe are looking into all angles a police official said when asked if they suspect any occultist ritual led to the suicide pact reported PTIPolice investigateWhile police said the two youngest daughters of the man were differentlyabled neighbours claimed that all four were physically challenged The claim is being verified Deputy Commissioner of Police Southwest Rohit Meena said reported PTIAccording to locals the women hardly stepped out of their flat The neighbours claimed that they last saw Sharma and his daughters on September 24A police official said the bodies were found after the neighbours complained about a foul smell emanating from flat number C4 on the third floor of a residential complex in Rangpuri villageThe DCP said building owner Nitin Chauhan was informed about the smell by the caretaker following which he knocked on the door but got no responsePolice broke the door open with the help of a fire brigade team and found Sharma lying dead in one of the rooms while the bodies of his four daughters were found in another room the officer said reported PTIThe DCP said according to the neighbours and relatives of the deceased Sharmas wife died of cancer about a year ago Sharma used to earn around Rs 25000 a month but had not gone to work since January the officer said reported PTIRelative and neighbours speakSharmas brother Mohan and sisterinlaw Gudiya reached the house after being informed about the incidentThey said Sharma was depressed after his wife died and used to remain preoccupied with his daughters treatmentWe spoke to him a few months ago about getting his eldest daughter married but she refused saying the family needs to get over her mothers death first Gudiya Sharma said reported PTIGudiya and Mohan live around 2 kilometres away from the deceaseds homeEarlier they would often visit the deceaseds house but were not in touch with them for the last few monthsGudiya Sharma the sisterinlaw of Heera Lal Sharma told PTI that the four daughters were very sweetnatured and good at studiesAll four were graduates one in home science another in commerce and two others had graduated in arts I still dont believe that they are no more she said reported PTINeeru had lost her eyesight in 2016 due to some medical reasons and had become totally dependent on her father I actually dont know why Heera Lal stopped going to work but Neeru would often request him not to go she said reported PTIHe was a devotee of Lord Hanuman and was very religious The family would never use garlic and onion in the food Gudiya said reported PTISince the death of Sharmas wife Kanta Devi due to cancer the family had cut off any communication she saidThey were under stress and his daughters had also stopped taking our calls We saw Heera Lal two weeks ago at a vegetable market We tried to talk to him but he ignored us she said reported PTIGudiya lives with her husband who is also physically challenged and three children around two kilometres away from the locality in Rangpuri village She works in a nearby hotelThere is a television in the house but none of the daughters had any interest in watching television They had one mobile phone which was used by all four daughters she said reported PTII also dont know why bhaiya did not want his daughters to go out and work We dont know about their earnings but Heera Lal would try to fulfil all the demands of his daughter she said reported PTIAmarjeet Singh a neighbour said Sharma hardly spoke to anyoneMany people here did not even know that he had four daughters His youngest daughter would at times be seen outside the house but his other daughters hardly stepped out of the house Singh said reported PTISharma was often seen washing his daughters clothes and doing other household work he addedInquest proceedings under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita BNSS have been initiated and a medical board has been formed for the postmortem examinations to be conducted on Monday police said reported PTIThe case bears an unsettling resemblance to a 2018 incident in which 11 members of a family were found dead in their home in Delhirsquos Burari Despite years of investigation no clear explanation has emerged for the mysterious circumstances surrounding their deathsWith inputs from PTI