Family tiffs behind government official's suicide

Small tiffs within his family led a 52-year-old government official to kill his wife and children and hang himself inside his home here in the capital, police said Sunday.

"Ananya Chakravarty, a clerical staff member in the Cabinet Secretariat, felt lonely as his kids supported his wife Jaishree in the tiffs that took place between the couple," a police officer told IANS.

The officer said it was a "sudden provocation" that turned ugly and took the lives of his son Arnab, who was sleeping in his room, and then his daughter Disha and his wife in another room.

The three bodies were found in a pool of blood at their home in Sadiq Nagar area of south Delhi Saturday evening. Chakravarty was found hanging from a ceiling fan in yet another room of the house.

Police also found a hammer and a big knife.

"The reason behind the fight is not clear but something had happened between them as the family slept without having food," the officer said.

The dinner was found half-cooked when police entered the house.

Neighbours told police that the family was very friendly but Chakravarty did not interact much with them.

"Commotion was often heard between husband and wife. But they never discussed it with any of the neighbours," said another officer.

Chakravarty, who hailed from West Bengal, had two married younger sisters who live in other cities. None of their relatives live in Delhi, the officer added.

Police said samples collected from the crime scene have been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL).

The post-mortem examination will be conducted Monday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, police said.