Mumbai: Four of Govandi family found dead at home

The chawl in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, where the incident took place. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Four members of a family were found dead inside a chawl in Shivaji Nagar area of Govandi on Friday. The police said that the man, Shakeel Khan, 34, poisoned his wife Raziya and two children - Sarfaraz, 5, and daughter Atisha, 3 - before hanging himself. Police sources said Khan had mixed the poison in a water bottle. As no suicide note was found, cops are not sure about what led Khan to take the extreme step.

Khan, who lived in a rented toom in a chawl with his family, ran a kirana store nearby. Shaikh Kesari Bano, owner of the chawl, said, "I had tried to wake up the family in the morning to ask them to stock water as there is no water connection here. When I did not get any response from them, I thought they were still sleeping."

Shakeel Khan had mixed the poison in a water bottle; Shakeel's wife Raziya; Atisha Khan and Sarfaraz Khan

The matter came to light in the afternoon, when Shakeel's brother came to check on the family as Khan did not come to the kirana store.

"But when they did not respond to the repeated knocking by Shakeel's brother, I felt something was amiss and tried to peep inside the room. As we could not see anything from the exhaust window, we broke open the door with the help of locals and found him hanging while his wife and kids were lying on the floor," Bano said.

Shakeel Khan used to run a kirana shop near his chawl; (extreme right) Khan's children Atisha and Sarfaraz were found lying on the floor along with their mother Raziya (centre). Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Locals immediately informed Shivaji Nagar police. Arjun Rajane, senior inspector of Shivaji Nagar police station, said, "The reason behind the killings and suicide is not clear as there was no suicide note. But we believe the man first poisoned his wife and children before killing himself."

At the time of going to press, the bodies were sent to Rajawadi Hospital for post-mortem and cops were recording the statements of local residents and relatives. Cops also collected samples of the poisonous fluid and sent them for further investigation.