Police said Friday that the skeletal remains of five family members were discovered in a residence in Karnataka's Chitradurga district, news agency PTI reported. They believe the skeletal remains are those of retired government executive engineer Jagannath Reddy (85), his wife Prema (80), daughter Triveni (62), and sons Krishna (60) and Narendra (57). However, authorities stated that the identification of the dead could only be determined following a forensic examination, and that the cause of death would be determined through an autopsy.
FSL team inspected the spot and collected evidence samples from the house in Chitradurga district where skeletal remains of five members of a family were found today.
The family members stayed to themselves and suffered from serious health problems. They were last spotted in 2019 and their home has been locked since then, according to authorities.
The incident was reported to the police on Thursday by a member of the local media, who was alerted by a resident.
"We visited the spot on Thursday evening and spoke to acquaintances and relatives of the family. All of them claimed that the family used to live a completely secluded life and were facing critical health issues. The family was last seen in June-July 2019. The house was always locked. Around two months ago, the main wooden door was seen broken by someone on their morning walk, but police weren't informed," a senior police officer was quoted by PTI in its report.
A police investigation revealed that the residence had been repeatedly broken into and trashed. According to him, four skeletons (two on beds and two on the floor) were discovered sleeping in one room, while another skeleton was discovered laying in another.
Davanagere Forensic Science Laboratory specialists were summoned to gather evidence. He stated that the crime site has been secured and sealed to prevent evidence tampering.
"The exact cause of death is not clear. It could be suicide or something else. We are in the initial stage of investigation. We will be able to ascertain the cause of death only after the forensic examination and autopsy is done, and the reports are received," the officer added.
Meanwhile, speaking with media in Tumakuru, State Home Minister G Parameshwara said: "There is a report about finding five skeletons in a house. For how long they have been there, and who they are. I have asked the police to investigate it."
"The police are already at work and the samples have been sent to a forensic science lab to find age and other details. Also, information is being gathered as to whom the house belongs to and who were living there," he stated.
"Whether they died by suicide or killed by some one, details are not known. After investigation and from a forensic report, we will get to know. Until then, we can't say anything or come to any conclusion," he said.