NOIDA: The investigation into the deaths of five members of a family in Greater Noida, initially suspected to be a case of poisoning, took a new turn after police arrested three relatives of the deceased man on charges of abetment to suicide, officials said on Sunday.The accused, the deceased man’s two sisters and brother-in-law, were arrested following a complaint lodged by a relative, Rabupura Station House Officer Sujeet Upadhyay said.According to police, Mahesh (37), the deceased man, had recorded a voice note on his mobile phone before his death, allegedly holding his elder sister Sunita (45), brother-in-law Shekhar alias Chandrashekhar (50) and younger sister Sapna (32) responsible for the deaths.Preliminary information gathered from neighbours and relatives suggests that Sunita allegedly influenced their mother, Chandrawati, to transfer the house where Mahesh lived with her in her name, police said. Mahesh was reportedly distressed after learning about the development, they added.CCTV footage from the area around the house did not show any outsider entering the premises, police said. Preliminary investigation suggests that a property dispute may have led to the incident.The post-mortem examinations, which were videographed, indicated signs of poisoning. Viscera samples have been sent for forensic analysis, and the exact cause of death will be established once the report is received, police said.Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the food safety department were also called to the spot to investigate the incident.Mahesh, his wife Lalita (35), their daughter Mishti (7), and sons Sakshat (11) and Riyansh (3) were found dead at their home in Nagla Padam village near Rabupura on Saturday morning.Initial suspicion pointed to possible food poisoning, with reports suggesting that the family had eaten noodles before their deaths.Police have registered a case under Section 108 (abetment to suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on a complaint filed by Lalita’s brother, officials said.Shekhar and Sunita live in Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, while Sapna resides in Khera Kalan in the capital, police said, adding that the three accused were being questioned.The last rites of all five family members were performed on Saturday night in the presence of villagers and relatives, locals said.The funeral ceremonies, particularly those of the three children, left mourners grief-stricken, as shock and sorrow prevailed in the village.(With Agency Inputs)
