The heartbroken family of the mum killed with her children has pleaded: Help us bring them home.
Gardai are treating the deaths of Seema Banu, 37, her daughter Asfira Riza, 11, and six-year-old Faizan Syed as a triple murder.
They were found strangled at their home in Ballinteer, South Dublin, on Wednesday.
Seema’s cousin Sufi Massod said: “We would be thankful for our lifetime if you could send our loved ones back to our family.”
Officers continue to interview witnesses and scour CCTV footage, but no arrests have been made.
A man has presented himself at a Garda station accompanied by a solicitor and is helping with enquiries.
Seema moved here with the children and husband Sameer Syed, 36, in February from their native India. They had lived for a while in Dubai until Sameer got a job here. Seema’s cousin told RTE News that she and her children are terribly missed.
Sufi Massod added: “She used to talk to everyone and make sure they are doing well in life.
“Even though she was in Ireland she used to talk to us all the time.
“The kids are very lovely and used to spend most of their time with grandma.
“When they were here they used to go places and play with the kids. We miss them a lot.”
The crime scene in Llewelyn Court remains sealed off. Seema and her family were originally from remote Mysore, southern India. Her loved ones are asking the Irish Government to help them bring their bodies home – it could cost €18,000. Sufi said: “We would be thankful for our lifetime if you could send our loved ones back to our family so we can see them one last time.”
Neighbours have been in shock since Wednesday when the details of the tragic deaths emerged.
The alarm was raised when the family had not been seen for several days.
Armed officers forced entry into the house around lunchtime to discover Seema upstairs in a bedroom with a ligature around her neck.
Her children were found dead in another room.
Sources said all three showed signs of strangulation. Taps had been left on in a bathroom, flooding the house and causing damage to the floor.
Seema’s husband and the children’s father was not at home when Gardai made the discovery.
By Wednesday night gardai had made contact with Mr Syed, who is in Ireland on a work visa.
The Indian embassy in Ireland has contacted Seema’s mother and brother. There has been a massive outpouring of sympathy for the children and their mum.
