A man and his four daughters were found dead at their residence in Delhi with police suspecting that the father first killed children and then died by suicide by consuming poison. The police today said they received a call from the owner of the building on Friday, who informed them about a foul smell coming from a flat. The owner said he knocked on the door but the tenants, who the neighbours last saw on September 24, did not open it.

Police said that no injury marks were found on their bodies and that three packets of poison, five glasses and a spoon containing suspicious liquid were found inside their house at Rangpuri.

The daughters had a red thread tied around their waist and necks.

The victims have been identified as Heeralal Sharma, 46, who worked as a carpenter, and his daughters Neetu, 26, Nikki, 24, Neeru, 23, and Nidhi, 20. Two of the daughters were differently abled, police said.

“The door was bolted from the inside and could be opened by the police with the help of the fire brigade team. There are two rooms in the flat. A male was found lying dead in the first room itself whereas four females were found dead in the other room,” the police said in a statement.

“Enquiry with neighbours and close relatives revealed that the wife of the victim had died of cancer about a year ago,” the police added.

The man’s relatives said he had stopped taking interest in family affairs after the death of his wife. They also said that he was always occupied with the treatment of his daughters in the hospital.

The Uttarakhand government is preparing a stringent land purchase law to control large-scale acquisitions in hilly regions by non-residents. This new legislation aims to identify and reclaim illegally acquired land, ensuring compliance with existing norms. The focus is on preventing misuse of regulations for personal gain while supporting genuine investors.