3 children among 5 of family found dead in mystery murder-suicide

INDORE: A farmer couple and their three children, the youngest only five years old, were found in their home in an Alirajpur village on Monday morning. Police say it was murder-suicide but don’t yet know what triggered it.
No suicide note has been found and relatives and neighbours haven’t been able to shed light.
Police identified the victims as Rakesh Singh, 30, his wife Lalita, 28, Lakshmi, 9, Prakash, 7, and Akshay.Lakshmi’s body lay on the floor. The others were hanging.
The incident happened in Raudi village, around 200km west of Indore.
On Monday, Rakesh’s uncle went to his house on some work and was puzzled when no one answered the door. He peeped in and found the bodies.
Alirajpur SP Rajesh Vyas said police were informed at 9.20am and he personally led a team to the spot. “Forensic experts examined the crime scene. A dog squad was used and photography and videography was also conducted. We suspect the incident took place between 7pm on Sunday and 6am on Monday,” said Vyas.
Police are recording statements of family members and villagers to understand what triggered the tragedy, he said.
“Prima facie it appears to be suicide but we are awaiting the autopsy report. The girl who was found on the floor also had a noose around her neck. She probably fell because the rope broke,” said Vyas.
Rakesh lived with his father and the family owns 5 acres of land in the village. Apart from farming, he used to go to Gujarat as a migrant worker.
SP Vyas said an SIT, led by Alirajpur subdivisional police officer, is investigating the case. According to sources, forensic experts have ruled out murder.