Property dispute may have led to suicides

The family had also scribbled the names of three persons — including that of Sharma’s eldest brother — on a wall inside the house, holding them responsible for their deaths. While the police are yet to trace Sharma’s eldest brother, Ramesh Chandra Sharma, they have questioned the other two persons — Shambhu Lal and Ram Lal — for their possible role in harassing the Sharma family. The latter two are tenants in Sharmas’ house. The bodies of Sharma and his son Parul, 17, were found on the floor, and that of Sharma’s daughters Shikha, 15, and Nidhi, 13, on a charpoy. The bodies had been covered with shawls. His wife Mithilesh was found hanging from the ceiling fan.

Each of the bodies was splattered with blood as the victims had slashed their wrists and ankles, probably with a blade. There were also signs that they had consumed poison or drugged themselves.

Though the post-mortem on the bodies has already been conducted, the police are waiting for the report to ascertain whether the victims consumed poison.According to the police, Sharma’s meagre income as a clerk used to be supplemented by the rent he collected from a dozen tenants in his house.

But even that stopped after some time, as Ramesh Sharma staked his claim to the property. Ramesh Sharma allegedly coerced the tenants against paying their rent to his younger brother. This resulted in regular fights between Umesh Sharma and the tenants.

Sharma and Mithilesh were also dragged to the police station a few months ago, before being named in a case filed by his elder brother.