Three of a family found dead mysteriously in Varanasi

Varanasi, Jan 2 A family of three in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi has been found allegedly dead inside their house in railway colony, police said on Monday.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Headquarters), Santosh Kumar Singh, said that initial investigation hinted that either Rajiv Ranjan Patel, 32, along with his wife Anupama, 30, and their two-and-a-half-year-old son Harsh had died by suicide or their deaths were caused due to suffocation as ashes of bonfire were also found inside the room.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, Singh said, adding that there was no sign of entry of any outsider in their home.

The deceased identified as Rajiv was a railway signalling department officer. The matter came to light when his helper Santosh Kumar Sahani reached Patel's home to collect the keys to the office room and doors of the house were not opened despite repeated efforts.

Sahani somehow entered the house when he noticed the bodies of Patel, his wife and son on the bed after which he raised an alarm.

The police officers from Adampur police station, government railway police and railway protection force reached the spot after getting information about the incident.

Later, the Additional Commissioner of Police also reached the spot.

Two mobile phones found near the bodies were in aeroplane mode.

The condition of the bodies hinted at the consumption of poisonous substances.

The police said that post-mortem reports were awaited to ascertain the actual cause of deaths.