Heads smashed in, throats slit with knife: Steeped in debt, Bhopal man kills mother, wife, 2 kids in sleep, then dies by suicide

BHOPAL: Suspected mental stress over unpaid debts triggered a macabre chain of killings, after a 35-year-old former restaurateur allegedly pounded the heads of his mother, wife and two children with a hammer before slashing their throats at their rented house in Bhopal’s Chhola police station area on Monday, before jumping in front of a speeding train.The horrifying events unfolded at PMAY LIG Colony of Malikhedi, near Titori Ghat of Chhola police station area, police said, adding that initial suspicions indicate running unpaid debt and mounting fiscal distress possibly drove him to commit the gory murders, though the motive remains undetermined.The 35-year-old was identified as Narendra Sahu, police said, adding that he locked the main door from outside after killing his loved ones before proceeding towards Chopda Kalan in the Sukhi Sewania police station area where jumped to his death before an on-rushing train.The deceased were identified as Narendra’s mother Saraswati, 55, his wife Somlata, 30, daughter Kirti, 10, and son Kush, 6, police said, adding that from an initial survey of the crime scene it appeared as though their heads were smashed with a hammer before their throats were slit with a knife.According to the first police responders, Somlata and Kush were found lying in a pool of blood on the bed in one room, while Saraswati and Kirti were found lifeless on the bed in a separate room of the rented tenement.Police recovered the blood-stained hammer and knife from the house, adding that there were no visible signs of a struggle, indicating that the family members were killed while they were asleep in the wee hours of Monday.According to investigators, the possibility that Narendra may have drugged or poisoned his victims, leaving them unable to resist his murderous blows, wasn’t being ruled out at this stage of the probe.Small glass bottles found in the kitchen during the initial sweep of the crime scene were sent for forensic examination, while traces of blood were detected in the wash basin, suggesting Narendra may have washed his bloodied hands clean before leaving the house.Seen in CCTV leaving homeInvestigators mined footage from a CCTV camera installed at the colony, showing Narendra motoring away in his 350cc Bullet after locking the door from outside.His headless remains were found on the railway tracks at Chopda Kalan around 10am, while his motorcycle was parked nearby. His mobile phone and the house key were recovered from his person.Chilling last callNarendra rang up his brother-in-law, Deepak Singh, who also resides in Chhola area, minutes before he jumped to his death, asking him to reach Chopda Kalan at the earliest, police said, adding that when Deepak asked why, the former said it was urgent before the call went cold.Deepak reached the village as told but could not contact Narendra despite repeated calls. He then returned to Narendra’s house and, finding it locked, tried calling Somlata. But she did not answer either. He assumed the family was travelling and unavailable to take calls.Meanwhile, Sukhi Sewania police received information around 10am that a man was found dead on the railway tracks. Police recovered Narendra’s last remains, along with his motorcycle and mobile phone and got in touch with Deepak after poring over his call records.Deepak identified the deceased as Narendra and subsequently returned to the rented house around 1pm.With repeated calls to the family still going unanswered, Deepak sensed trouble and contacted Chhola police on Dial-112, reporting that there was information on the whereabouts of his family.Door broken, bodies recoveredResponding to Deepak’s call, a Chhola police team reached the Malikhedi residence and broke open the main door lock. The four family members were found dead in two rooms, bringing the disturbing murders to light.Senior police officers, including DCP (Zone-4) Adarshkant Shukla, reached the spot along with an FSL team.The hammer and knife, the suspected murder weapons, were found lying in the kitchen, the sleuths said, adding that no suicide note was found. Narendra’s mobile phone has been seized for further forensic analysis.DCP Shukla said a case of unnatural death was registered in connection with the incident, adding that an FIR for murder would be filed soon.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bhopal | Silver Rate in Bhopal | Bank Holidays in Bhopal | Public Holidays in Bhopal | Petrol Price in Bhopal | Diesel Price in Bhopal | CNG Price in Bhopal | LPG Price in BhopalStay updated with the latest Bhopal news. Download the TOI App.