Jharkhand PSC Topper, IRS Brother And Mother Found Dead In Kochi; Police Exploring All Angles

Although the deaths are suspected to have occurred on the 14th or 15th of this month, the death came to light only on Thursday

Kochi:Police on Saturday said the postmortem report is crucial and is exploring all angles in the case where a GST Additional Commissioner, his mother, and sister, all natives of Jharkhand, were found dead in the Customs Quarters in Kakkanad near Kochi in Kerala.

The deceased have been identified as Maneesh Vijay (43), his sister Shalini Vijay, and their mother, Shakuntala Agarwal.

"The postmortem of the deceased has begun at Kalamassery Medical College, and we are hoping that the initial findings will provide clarity on the cause of death. The incident will only be fully understood after receiving the postmortem report", Thrikkakara ACP Baby told ETV Bharat.

Although the deaths are suspected to have occurred on the 14th or 15th of this month, they remained undiscovered as the family had no contact with the locals.

Maneesh Vijay had been on leave for a few days, but when he failed to return to work, colleagues visited his residence on Thursday night.

Upon detecting a foul smell, they looked through an open window and spotted one body hanging. Police were immediately alerted, and upon entering the house, they found another body in another room.

According to police sources, Maneesh’s sister Shalini had recently received a court summons directing her to appear before a court in Jharkhand on February 15 in connection with a case investigated by the CBI. She was an accused in the case which pertains to irregularities in her appointment in the Jharkhand government service, sources added.

Maneesh and Shalini were found hanging, while Shakuntala was discovered dead on her bed, her body draped in a white cloth with flowers sprinkled over it. Police are examining the possibility that the mother’s death and the ongoing CBI investigation against the sister led to a suicide. If the death of their mother, Shakuntala Agarwal, was natural, this theory becomes more plausible.

If the mother's death proves to be unnatural, it could be a case of murder, and police are not ruling out the possibility that Manish and his sister committed suicide after committing the crime. Police have confirmed that the siblings bought flowers on February 14 and later covered their mother with a cloth and scattered flowers before their deaths.

Shalini was the first rank holder in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission examination in 2006 and worked as a deputy collector for two years. However, she and others lost their jobs following allegations of irregularities in the examination.

The CBI took over the case and issued a notice for Shalini to appear on the 15th. However, she remained in Kerala without attending the questioning. Police suspect that pressure from the investigation may be linked to the deaths. The postmortem proceedings began after another sister of the Additional Commissioner, who was abroad, returned to India.

A note believed to have been written by Manish requested all their documents be handed over to their sister abroad. The funeral of the three is scheduled for 4 pm on Saturday at the Athani Public Crematorium after the postmortem.