Unable to cope with their financial problems, a software professional and his wife allegedly committed suicide after killing their two minor children at their rented flat in a high-end building at Wadala in north-central Mumbai.
The bodies of Donalas Anthony (47), an IT professional, his wife Elizabeth lizey (46) and their children Jason (12) and Vivian (4) were found in a highly decomposed state in a 15-storey Odyessey building in Bhakti Park locality of Wadala, on Monday morning.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the four had died after consuming poison.
The investigators suspect that Antony and his wife, believed to have been under acute stress over their financial crisis they were facing, might have committed suicide after feeding poison to their minor children.
Ruling out the possibility of any foul play in the incident, Additional Police Commissioner Praveen Salunkhe said: “Prima facie, it is a case of suicide. No theft has taken place in the house. We have a reason to believe that the couple might have taken the extreme step owing to their financial problems”.
The investigators say that the incident might have taken place at least two days ago. It was after the foul smell began to emanate from Antonys’ flat that the neighbours suspected that something was amiss.
The four were found dead in their bed room, when the flat was opened Antony’s brother Anil using the duplicate keys that he had with him.
The questioning of Anil had revealed that Antony was in a dire financial strait and was unable to make both
ends meet.