A scary incident surfaced from Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur on Saturday, where police found a man hanging, while the bodies of his wife, son and two minor daughters were recovered from the floor of their rented accommodation, the police said. According to police, they have sent all the bodies for autopsy and are awaiting reports to ascertain the exact cause behind the death.

Case being treated as that of murder-suicide

Police said the incident came to light on Friday late night after the family’s neighbours and the landlord raised an alarm, when repeated attempts to contact the family failed. They said the neighbours reported that a foul smell had also been emanating from the locked house, which raised suspicion further.

The cops broke into the house and discovered the harrowing sight. They identified the deceased as Sajid Ali (5), his wife Rabia Bano (45), their son Irshad Ali (20) and their two minor daughters.

Sajid found hanging, others were lying dead on the floor

Police said Sajid was found hanging inside the room from the ceiling, while the bodies of his other family members were found lying on the floor. According to a preliminary probe, Sajid may have allegedly administered a poisonous substance to his kin before dying by suicide. However, police officials emphasised that they will be able to piece together the sequence of events and establish the cause of death after post-mortem reports and forensic analysis.

The cops believe the family may have consumed poison-laced food, although they stressed that this remains an initial line of inquiry and has not been established conclusively.

Family was last seen on Thursday morning

As learnt by police, the family had been residing in the area for the past eight months and was last seen on Thursday morning. The house remained locked from inside throughout Friday, prompting concern among neighbours and another tenant in the building. After the family failed to answer repeated phone calls, the tenant informed the landlord, who informed the police.

The police personnel rushed to the scene and broke open the locked door, leading to the grim discovery.

Forensic probe underway

Senior police officials and a forensic science team inspected the crime scene late Friday night and later sealed the house for an in-depth probe.

Authorities said they have collected evidence from the house, and samples have been sent for forensic examination to determine whether a poisonous substance led to the deaths.

However, police maintained that all the aspects of the case are being probed and cautioned against drawing conclusions until the post-mortem reports arrived. The neighbours and residents of the area are shock-stricken after the incident, as per reports.