Police in Karnataka's Chitradurga district revealed on Friday that the skeletal remains of five family members were discovered in a residence. The individuals are believed to be retired government executive engineer Jagannath Reddy (85), his wife Prema (80), daughter Triveni (62), and sons Krishna (60) and Narendra (57), according to authorities. However, definitive identification awaits a forensic examination, and the cause of death will be determined through an autopsy, as stated by the police.
The family, known for maintaining a private lifestyle and grappling with significant health challenges, was last observed in 2019. Since that time, their residence has been securely locked, as disclosed by the police. The authorities became aware of the situation on Thursday after local media personnel were tipped off by an individual in the vicinity.
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 was 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 said.
A police visit to the scene of the crime suggested that the house had been intruded on multiple times and ransacked. Four skeletons (two on beds and two on the floor) were found in one room in a sleeping position, while another skeleton was found in a lying position in another room, he said.
Forensic Science Laboratory experts from Davanagere were called to collect evidence. The crime scene has been guarded and sealed to ensure there is no tampering with evidence, he said. The exact cause of death is not clear. It could be suicide or something else. We are in the initial stage of the investigation. We will be able to ascertain the cause of death only after the forensic examination and autopsy are done and the reports are received, the officer added.
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 who the house belongs to and who is living there. Whether they died by suicide or were killed by someone, details are not known. After an investigation and a forensic report, we will get to know. Until then, we can't say anything or come to any conclusion, he said.