FAMILY OF FOUR FOUND DEAD IN MYSTERIOUS CONDITIONS: INCREASE IN NUMBER OF FAMILIAL DEATHS DEMANDING CONCERN
May 13, 2025, on a Tuesday morning in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, four people of an entire family, including husband, wife, and their two children, were found dead mysteriously in their residence. The deceased have been identified as Basant Patel, his wife Bharti, 11-year-old daughter Sejal, and four-year-old son Kiyansh. This incident has shocked the entire community, instilling a sense of mystery in everyone’s mind.
According to reports, the Additional Superintendent of Police of Mahasamund, Pratibha Pandey, informed that the police were first alerted by the local tehsildar as Patel refused to open the house door for long, even when neighbors knocked several times.
THE INITIAL FINDINGS
Pratibha Pandey, the Additional Superintendent of Police, released a statement that when they first entered the house, Basant Patel was found hanging. His wife and two children, an 11-year-old girl and four-year-old boy, were lying dead on the bed. Based on the first impression of the crime scene, it is suspected that Basant Patel had hanged himself, and his wife and two children had consumed poison.
A forensic team immediately reported to the crime scene where an inquest was conducted in the presence of other family members. However, according to the primary investigation, it appears to be a case of suicide, but the exact reason is yet to be determined until the forensic reports are received. Further investigation for this case is underway.
EVOKING COMPARISON TO OTHER FAMILIAL SUICIDE CASES IN INDIA
This case has not only instilled a sense of mystery but also evokes chilling memories of the 2018 Burari Case in Delhi, in which 11 members of a family were found dead—10 due to hanging from the ceiling and one strangled to death. This case had initially appeared to be a mass suicide but was later revealed to be the result of a shared psychotic disorder within the family. Unlike the Mahasamund case, the Burari deaths were extensively documented in handwritten diaries, laying bare the psychological grip of collective delusion.
Familial suicides, though rare, are not unprecedented in India. Another case in Damoh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, involved a man administering a poisonous substance to his daughters and consuming it himself. The reason was reportedly financial hardships. These cases, among others in India, demand immediate attention and preventive measures.
THE CRISIS OF FAMILIAL SUICIDES AND THE NECESSITY OF A ROAD TO PREVENTION
The root causes of familial deaths in India are often a combination of mental health distress, financial issues, family conflicts, and social isolation. This feeling of helplessness, both as an individual and as a family, can lead to suicides.
Though these incidents are not predictable, they can be preventable by focusing on individual mental health, providing psychological support, strengthening employment opportunities, and promoting open dialogues between families and communities.
CONCLUSION
The Mahasamund family tragedy, currently under forensic and police investigation, serves as a stark reminder of the increasing familial deaths in India. It draws comparisons to previous cases, demanding attention and social concern toward a complex web of emotional, psychological, and possibly financial distress to prevent the collapse of families.
