- Three family members were found dead inside a Toyota Fortuner in Punjab's Patiala district
- The bodies had gunshot wounds and police suspect it to be a suicide case, but haven't ruled out other angles
- A handgun was recovered from the vehicle, the police said, adding the bodies have been sent for post-mortem
A somber scene unfolded in the fields near a village in Punjab's Patiala district when three members of a family were found dead inside a Toyota Fortuner SUV under mysterious circumstances.
Police officer Manjit Singh said while it appeared to be a suicide case, all angles are being investigated.
The car was found parked on a deserted village road along the National Highway in Tepla Banur.
The bodies have been identified as Sandeep Singh Rajpal, 45, a property dealer from Mohali; his wife Mandeep Kaur, 42, and their son Abhay Singh, 15.
The bodies have gunshot wounds, and blood had splattered on the plastics inside the cabin. The property dealer's body was found in the driver's seat, his wife in the front passenger seat, and their son in the backseat.
Farm workers saw the vehicle and on sensing something off, they called the police. Police officers Rajpura Manjit Singh, Arshdeep Sharma, Hardev Singh, Jaswinder Pal, and forensic teams came to the spot.
The police said a handgun was recovered from the SUV. The bodies have been sent to a hospital for post-mortem, scheduled for Monday. The police said they have contacted the relatives of the family and they would be arriving from Mohali soon.
Preliminary investigation indicated Sandeep Singh may have shot his wife and son before taking his own life. The police noted the son had been struggling with mental health challenges.
Sandeep Singh, originally from Sikhwala village in Bathinda, has been living in Mohali for the last eight years. His brother lives in their Bathinda village, while his sister lives abroad, the police said.
