Couple, 3 children found dead in Mathura; Suicide video and wall note recovered

Five members of a family, including three young children, were found dead inside their house in Khapparpur village of Mathura district on Tuesday morning, with police recovering a suicide video and a message scribbled on the wall. The deceased have been identified as Manish Kumar (35), his wife Seema (32), and their children — Hunny (5), Priyanshi (4) and Pankaj (2). Police said a 48-second video recorded by Manish and notes found inside the room suggest the deaths were a case of mass suicide.

The incident came to light after neighbours grew suspicious when the children did not step out in the morning. Manish’s elder brother, who lives nearby, scaled the outer wall and entered the house, where he found all five lying unresponsive in a room. Police were informed and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. Glasses of milk found near the bodies initially raised suspicion of poisoning.

However, post-mortem findings indicated different causes of death. Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said Manish died due to electrocution, Seema due to hanging, and the three children due to strangulation. Preliminary investigation suggests Manish may have strangled the children first, killed his wife, and then died by electrocution. Police said the video was believed to have been recorded between 4 am and 5 am.

In the video, Manish stated that the family had taken the step on their own will and requested that no one be held responsible. A note written on the wall carried a similar message. A diary entry also reiterated that no one should be blamed. Police said all angles, including possible mental health issues and other factors, are being examined.

Family members said Manish was a farmer working on ancestral land and had married in 2018. His brother stated that although Manish mentioned selling a plot of land in the video, he did not attribute their decision to financial reasons. Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths.