Man kills wife, 2 children before ending his life; whatsApp status alerts relatives
According to police, before taking the extreme step, Govind posted a WhatsApp status early on Sunday morning that read “Heartfelt tributes”, which alarmed his relatives. When they contacted other family members in the village, they learned about the deaths.
PUNE: A 41-year-old home guard allegedly killed his wife and two children before dying by suicide, police said on Sunday. The incident was reported at Malwadi village in Deola tehsil of Nashik district.
The deceased have been identified as Govind Shewale (41), his wife Komal Shewale (35), their daughter Harshali (9) and son Shivam (2). Police said Govind was working as a home guard and may have been facing financial distress.
According to police, before taking the extreme step, Govind posted a WhatsApp status early on Sunday morning that read “Heartfelt tributes”, which alarmed his relatives. When they contacted other family members in the village, they learned about the deaths.
Sarthak Nehete, police inspector at Deola police station, said, “Prima facie, it seems that Govind killed his wife and children by strangling them and later hanged himself. After relatives received his cryptic status, they rushed to the house where the bodies of Govind, his wife, daughter and son were found.”
The incident created panic in the village, and police immediately reached the spot to control the situation. A forensic team from the Nashik division also arrived to assist in the investigation.
Preliminary observations indicate that the wife and children were strangled before Govind hanged himself. Deola police station officers said the exact motive behind the deaths is under investigation. A detailed inquiry is underway and forensic reports will help establish the sequence of events, they added.