RAJGANGPUR: A family of four was found dead inside their house on Saturday at the IT Colony of Rajgangpur in Sundargarh district in Odisha.
Ranjit Prasad (35), who was a contract worker at a cement company, his wife Alpana (30) their three-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son were found dead inside their apartment which was locked, confirmed Rajgangpur SDPO Bijaya Nanda.
He said the couple was last seen on Thursday and that police suspect it to be a case of mass suicide after preliminary investigation wherein the couple first poisoned the children and then killed themselves as leftover milk was found near the bodies.
The SDPO also said neighbours informed the police after getting a foul smell from the house.
However reasons for the apparent suicide are not known as no suicide note was recovered from the spot.
Further, an autopsy report is needed to ascertain the exact cause of deaths, said Inspector-in-Charge of the Rajgangpur police station Gokulanand Sahu.
Incidentally, in 2019, an assistant professor of National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) Rasu Jaybalan (37) and his wife Malini (35) had committed suicide by poisoning themselves at their official residence in the institute campus.
Earlier too in July 2017 a contractor, his wife, and their three children were found dead at a house at Kulda Colony of MCL in Hemgir of Sundargarh and the incident had come to light several days later.