A tragic incident unfolded in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district, where a farmer, his wife, and their three children were found dead in their home on Monday. Authorities suspect it to be a case of mass suicide.
The bodies of Rakesh Dodwa (27), his wife Lalita Dodwa (25), and their sons Prakash (7) and Akshay (5) were discovered hanging from the ceiling of their kuchha house, according to local police. The body of their daughter, Laxmi (9), was found lying on the floor.
Initially, police reported that all five bodies were hanging, but a villager later clarified that only the couple and their two sons were found hanging, while the daughter’s body was on the floor.
“The information about the death of five people at Ravdi village in Sondwa tehsil was received at 9:20 AM on Monday,” said a police official.
A special investigation team, led by the Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) of Alirajpur, has been formed to investigate the incident, as no suicide note was discovered at the scene. Preliminary findings suggest the deaths occurred between 7 PM on Sunday and 6 AM on Monday.
Rakesh Dodwa, the head of the family, was a farmer who also worked as a mason in Gujarat.
A dog squad and forensic team were dispatched to the scene to collect evidence, including fingerprints. A forensic team from Indore is also expected to assist in the investigation. The postmortem examinations are being videographed for further analysis.
The community and authorities are now grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event, seeking answers to understand the circumstances that led to this devastating loss.