Five of a family including infant found dead in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, 18 Sep 2021 [Fik/News Sources]: Five members of a family, including that of an infant, were found dead in Bengaluru on the night of Friday, September 17. The police also rescued a young girl, a part of the family, who was unconscious at their residence. The bodies of Bharathi (51), Sinchana (35), Sindhoorani (31), Madhusagar (25) and an infant were discovered in the house under the Byadarahalli police station limits. The police said that the family died by suicide and the officials are awaiting a post mortem report. A case of unnatural death has been registered at the station.

Shankar Halagere, a journalist with a Kannada daily, lived in the house with his wife Bharathi and son Madhusagar. Their daughters, Sinchana and Sindhoorani, along with their respective children, were staying there temporarily at the time of the incident, according to the police. Sinchana’s toddler was found alive but unconscious, while the police say that Sindhoorani’s baby died of starvation. “On Sunday (September 12), Shankar and his son quarrelled, after which Shankar left home. He tried calling his family but his calls went unanswered. Upon his return he spotted his family had died by suicide and informed the police,” a police official told TNM. The post mortem will be conducted on Saturday, September 18.

The police suspect that the family died by suicide due to a feud. The official also said that Madhusagar, an engineer with a private company, had not reported to work in the last six months. Sinchana and Sindhoori had reportedly returned to their parents’ house with their children after a fight with their respective husbands. Sinchana’s toddler is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, and further investigation is underway. 

The family lived in an independent unit, which is why none of their neighbours noticed the incident, police said. Speaking to IANS, Soumendu Mukharjee, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) said that the reason for the deaths is yet to be ascertained, and that no note was recovered from the house. The ACP also said that Shankar will be interrogated when he is fit to undergo questioning.

"I worked hard to get my daughters Sinchana and Sindhoorani educated. My son Madhusagar was also an engineering graduate and worked in a private company. Sinchana had come back home after having a fight with her husband over an ear-piercing ceremony for their daughter. There were no issues regarding finances. They have taken the extreme decision on trivial issues," Shankar told IANS.

(With IANS inputs)