Electrocution hanging and strangulation 5 of family found dead in Mathura

    Mathura (UP), Feb 10 (PTI) A 35-year-old farmer died of electrocution, his wife allegedly hanged herself and their three minor children died of strangulation in an apparent case of mass suicide in Mathura's Khapparpur village, police said on Tuesday, citing post-mortem findings.
    The deceased have been identified as Manish Kumar (35), his wife aged around 32, their two daughters – Honey (8) and Priyanshi (5) – and son Prateek (3), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Shlok Kumar, said.
    “They were found dead inside a room of their house. The post-mortem reports indicate that Manish died due to electrocution, his wife due to hanging, while the three children died due to strangulation,” the SSP told PTI.
    Police received information about the incident from Manish Kumar's brother.
    When the children did not come out to play in the morning, Manish's brother scaled over the wall, broke open the door and found the family members lying inside. He was accompanied by some villagers.
    Police found a purported suicide note written on a diary page, scribblings on a wall and a video recorded by Manish on his mobile phone before the incident.
    The SSP said the mobile phone and the video are being examined and the spot has been inspected in detail by forensic teams.
    According to police, inputs suggesting suicide emerged from four sources – the diary note, the wall message, the video recording and other material found at the scene.
    In the alleged suicide note, Manish wrote that he and his wife were willingly ending their lives and that no one should be held responsible for their deaths. It also said that no one should be harassed in connection with the incident.
    The note mentioned that Manish had no outstanding debt and that no money should be paid to anyone claiming dues.
    Circle Officer (Mahavan) Shweta Verma said the note indicated that Manish was troubled by certain problems, which he was unable to share with others.
    District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said Manish had recorded a video on his mobile phone before the incident in which he said he was willingly taking the extreme step.
    In the video, he also mentioned that he had recently sold a plot for Rs 12 lakh and had received money from the buyer.
    Calling it an "extremely unfortunate" incident and "a matter of concern for society", Singh said police are thoroughly probing all circumstances surrounding the case.
    He added that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the incident and directed officials to extend full support to the family and investigate the matter from all angles.
    Manish's nephew said the couple got married in 2018 and lived in an adjacent house.
    "We cannot find any reason why they would take such a step. There was no dispute with anyone," he told reporters.
    As the news of the deaths spread, a large crowd gathered outside the house, with many visibly distressed.
Police said no complaint has been received from the relatives so far.
    The last rites of the five family members were performed by the relatives on Tuesday evening, an official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)