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

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The police on Saturday said that the decomposed bodies of a 46-year-old man and his four daughters, two of them differently-abled, have been found in their rented accommodation in southwest Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, reported news agency PTI.

The deceased have been identified as Heeralal Sharma, who worked as a carpenter at the Indian Spinal Injury Centre in Delhi's Vasant Kunj for the last 28 years, and his four daughters -- Neetu (26), Nikki (24), Neeru (23) and Nidhi (20), reported PTI.

The 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 house.

Police suspect it to be a case of suicide as no evidence of any foul play has been found.

Family 'suicide pact': All 4 girls were graduates, father a Lord Hanuman devotee

Heera 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 Delhi's 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 PTI.

According 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 Tuesday.

A 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 PTI.

Prima facie the police suspect it to be a case of suicide but no note has been found from the house as of now, reported PTI.

"We are looking into all angles," a police official said when asked if they suspect any occultist ritual led to the suicide pact, reported PTI.

Police investigate

While police said the two youngest daughters of the man were differently-abled, neighbours claimed that all four were physically challenged. The claim is being verified, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Rohit Meena said, reported PTI.

According to locals, the women hardly stepped out of their flat. The neighbours claimed that they last saw Sharma and his daughters on September 24.

A 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 village.

The DCP said building owner Nitin Chauhan was informed about the smell by the caretaker, following which he knocked on the door but got no response.

Police 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 PTI.

The DCP said according to the neighbours and relatives of the deceased, Sharma's wife died of cancer about a year ago. Sharma used to earn around Rs 25,000 a month but had not gone to work since January, the officer said, reported PTI.

Relative and neighbours speak

Sharma's brother Mohan and sister-in-law Gudiya reached the house after being informed about the incident.

They said Sharma was depressed after his wife died and used to remain preoccupied with his daughters' treatment.

"We spoke to him a few months ago about getting his eldest daughter married but she refused, saying the family needs to get over her mother's death first," Gudiya Sharma said, reported PTI.

Gudiya and Mohan live around 2 kilometres away from the deceased's home.

Earlier, they would often visit the deceased's house but were not in touch with them for the last few months.

Gudiya Sharma, the sister-in-law of Heera Lal Sharma, told PTI that the four daughters were very sweet-natured and good at studies.

"All four were graduates, one in home science, another in commerce and two others had graduated in arts. I still don't believe that they are no more," she said, reported PTI.

Neeru had lost her eyesight in 2016 due to some medical reasons and had become totally dependent on her father. "I actually don't know why Heera Lal stopped going to work but Neeru would often request him not to go," she said, reported PTI.

"He was a devotee of Lord Hanuman and was very religious. The family would never use garlic and onion in the food," Gudiya said, reported PTI.

Since the death of Sharma's wife Kanta Devi due to cancer, the family had cut off any communication, she said.

"They 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 PTI.

Gudiya 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 hotel.

"There 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 PTI.

"I also don't know why bhaiya did not want his daughters to go out and work. We don't know about their earnings, but Heera Lal would try to fulfil all the demands of his daughter," she said, reported PTI.

Amarjeet Singh, a neighbour, said Sharma hardly spoke to anyone.

"Many 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 PTI.

Sharma was often seen washing his daughter's clothes and doing other household work, he added.

Inquest proceedings under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been initiated and a medical board has been formed for the post-mortem examinations to be conducted on Monday, police said, reported PTI.

The case bears an unsettling resemblance to a 2018 incident in which 11 members of a family were found dead in their home in Delhi's Burari. Despite years of investigation, no clear explanation has emerged for the mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths.

(With inputs from PTI)