In a disturbing incident, nine members of a family were found dead in their house in Sangli district in western Maharashtra on Monday.
According to the authorities, the bodies were found at two different locations in Mhaisal in Sangli Miraj Taluk. While the cause of the tragedy has yet to be ascertained, the police suspect it to be a case of “collective suicide”.
A senior district police official said that the bodies were of two brothers (a veterinary doctor and a teacher) along with their mother, their wives and their children.
The deceased are believed to have consumed a poisonous substance. Authorities said they were probing whether this was a “suicide pact” while investigating the possible motives behind the actions of the heads of the families.
The bodies were found by the police on Monday afternoon and immediately sent for a post-mortem to the government hospital in Miraj.
Those who require assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts may contact Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention helpline 011-4076 9002 (10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., Monday-Saturday). Those in distress could also seek help and counselling by calling helplines from this link.
