Mumbai:
Apparently depressed over severe financial crisis, an IT professional and his wife allegedly committed suicide after killing their two minor children at their rented apartment in Mumbai, police said today.
The four died due to consumption of poisonous substance. Their faces were found wrapped with polythene in their flat on the fifth floor of a 15-storeyed building in Wadala, central Mumbai, police added.
The deceased were identified as Donalas Anthony (47), a software professional, his wife Elizabeth Lizey (46) and their children Jason (12) and Vivian (4), police said.
The bodies were in a decomposed state and police suspect they may have died at least two days ago.
"Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. No valuables were stolen from the house, where everything was intact. Anthony was going through financial problems and this could have forced him to take this extreme step," Additional Police Commissioner Praveen Salunkhe told PTI.
Foul smell from the apartment led to the discovery of the body. The apartment was opened with duplicate keys, which Anthony's brother Anil, who stays in Worli, had with him.
According to police, Anil along with his son went to his brother's home this morning. "Anthony had told Anil a few days ago that he was going abroad with his family. Carrying duplicate keys, Anil went to his brother's house, where he found the bodies in the bedroom," APC Salunkhe added.
The bodies were taken to a civic-run hospital for post -mortem, police said, adding no suicide note was found.
"Anthony was bankrupt and he also had to make payments towards some legal-related matters but he had no money," APC Salunkhe added.
"The couple might have killed their son and daughter first and then they would have ended their lives," he said.