VARANASI: Rajiv Ranjan, a 32-year-old Electronic Signal Maintainer (ESM) in the signalling section of Indian Railways, along with his wife, Anupama, 30, and a two-and-a-half-year-old kid was found dead inside their house in Kashi station's railway colony in Varanasi on Sunday morning.
Additional commissioner of police (crime and headquarters) Santosh Kumar Singh said that the outcome of the initial investigation of police is hinting that either Patel along with his family had ended their life or their death was caused due to suffocation as ashes of bonfire were also found inside the room, which was filled with smoke. Their bodies were sent for postmortem, said Singh, clarifying that there was no sign of entry of any outsider into their home.
Patel, a native of Nalanda in Bihar, was transferred to Varanasi in February 2021, and since then, he dwelt in his Northern Railway colony house with his family. On Sunday morning, his helper Santosh Kumar Sahani reached Patel’s home to collect keys of his office room when he found no response at the door despite repeated efforts. Sahani somehow entered the house and found the bodies of Patel, his wife and son lying on bed, after which, he raised an alarm.
On getting information, cops from Adampur police station, Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force reached the spot. Later, the additional commissioner of police also reached the spot.
Inspector Adampur Ajit Kumar Verma said that when the room was opened, it was filled with smoke and ashes of a bonfire were also found inside it. Due to the same reason, chances of their death due to suffocation is high, said Verma.
During the police investigation, two mobile phones lying near the bodies were found in airplane mode while the condition of bodies also hinted towards the consumption of some poisonous substance. Police said that postmortem reports were awaited.
