Mapusa: Four members of a family from Mapusa allegedly committed suicide in their residential flat ‘God’s Gift’ at Khorlim, Mapusa on Tuesday morning.
According to the Mapusa Police, they received a call at around 10.15 am and immediately rushed to the spot and found 41-year-old Shahu Dhumale hanging to the ceiling fan.
The police also found the bodies of his wife 34-year-old Kavita Dhumale and their two minor children nine-year-old Saras Dhumale and two-and-a-half years old Sairaj Dhumale on the bed. However, the exact cause of the deaths is yet to be ascertained.
Sources informed that the family hailing from Nesari Gadinglaz, Kolhapur district of Maharashtra were residing in Goa for the past six years.
Police suspect that the family may have taken the drastic step due to financial crisis. However, the exact motive is not known.
Sources claimed that Shahu had sold his flat and was to handover the flat keys to the new owner on Tuesday (today). However, before he could hand over the keys, he committed suicide.
Shahu had messaged his niece to come and take the two minor children since they were about to vacate the flat. Accordingly the niece sent her father who is the brother-in -law of the deceased to the flat.
The incident was reported by Shahu’s brother-in-law, who initially went to the flat, knocked on the door but nobody responded. So the brother-in-law inquired with neighbours who informed him that the flat key is usually kept outside near the door. He opened the door and found Shahu hanging to ceiling fan and informed the police.
Meanwhile, DySP Edwin Colaco said, “Shahu Dhumale was found hanging to the ceiling fan while the bodies of the other three were found on the bed. The cause of deaths of Shahu’s wife and his two minor children will be revealed after the post-mortem report. We have also found a suicide note and police are further analysing the content. So far, the motive of suicide is not yet known. We are investigating into the case”.
However, Colaco denied the possibility that the family died by consuming poison. The DySP said no injury marks were found on the bodies of Shahu’s wife and their two minor children.
He informed that a case of unnatural death has been registered and a team has been formed to investigate the case. The bodies have been sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim for post-mortem.
Reliable sources informed that the police have recovered a diary at the crime scene where in deceased has written that he had taken loan from several people and they come to his house asking for the money and since he is unable to pay he is ending his life.
The deceased was working as a security supervisor.
Dog squad and fingerprint expert were pressed into service. DIG Parmaditya, SP North Utkrisht Prasoon, DySP Edwin Colaco and Mapusa PI Tushar Lotlikar were present at the crime Spot.
Mapusa police are further investigating the case.
