A man in Punjab's Barnala allegedly shot dead his mother, daughter and pet dog before ending his own life on Saturday evening. According to PTI, the incident occurred at his residence in Ram Rajya Colony.
Kulbir Mann Singh, who was in his 50s, is believed to have first shot his daughter Nimrat Kaur, 21, then killed his mother Balwant Kaur, 85, and their pet dog, a police official told the news agency. Later, he killed himself, they added. The weapon used in the crime was a licensed revolver, police said.
According to an Indian Express report, the incident occurred in the evening when Singh's wife Ramandeep had gone to the market. When she returned, she found the front gate locked from the inside, the neighbours helped her get inside.
A report in the Times Of India said, when Ramandeep and the family's neighbours entered the house, they saw all three lying in a pool of blood in different rooms of the house. The pet was found in the courtyard.
Ramandeep is the only surviving member of the family.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Mann had been suffering from depression for a while and was on anti-depressants. Kulbir Mann Singh was reportedly an intermittently active member of the Akali Dal party.
His daughter had recently returned from Canada on a break.
Police have found CCTV footage that showed how the murder-suicide unfolded.
While the investigation continues, Indian Express quoted sources as saying that forensic experts and Barnala police have invoked Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which applies in cases of suicide, murder, accidental death, or death under suspicious circumstances.