Chennai: Bodies of four members of a family including a 50-year-old woman, her daughter, two of her grandchildren and pets were found dead in Thanjavur city of Tamil Nadu, an official said on Monday.
Two of them was identified as Shanthi and Tulasi Devi. Police said, the mother Shanthi was found hanging while the grandchildren - one of them two years old and the six months - were found poisoned. Two pet dogs were also found dead from poisoning.
Police said, the initial investigation suggested the family had committed suicide, but no suicide note was found at the scene.
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The landowner of the victims alerted the police after he didn't see anyone coming out of the house for a few days, a local source said. The police reached the spot and broke open the door which was bolted from inside.
"It appeared that the children and dogs were given poison first before the mother and daughter hanged themselves, however, nothing can ascertained as of now. The probe is underway," a policeman said.
According to the reports, the bodies have been sent to Patukottai Govt Hospital for autopsy and the remains of the pets were taken to a veterinary hospital.
