SUNGAI PETANI: The bodies of a man and his three children were found in their house in Perdana Height, Amanjaya, in what police believe is a case of murder-suicide.
Kedah Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Mior Farid Al Athrash Wahid said the man, identified as 49-year-old S. Sivarau, was found hanged inside a room on the upper floor of the double-storey house.
The bodies of Sivarau’s two sons, aged 5 and 6, and 8-year-old daughter, were found on a bed inside the same room.
The children were identified as daughter Yamunasri and sons Sashvin Rau, and Ragu Ram Rau.
Mior Farid said the four were believed to have died about 12 hours before their bodies were found by a relative about 1.30pm today.
He said initial investigations have led police to believe that Sivarau had suffocated his children before hanging himself.
“We did not find any physical injury on the children... (but) only the post-mortem examination can determine cause of death. Their bodies have been sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for the process,” he said.
Mior Farid said initial investigation had also led police to believe the man chose to kill his children and himself as the family had been having financial problems.
It is learnt that the man who worked as a contractor lost his wife last month. She, too, had committed suicide by hanging inside the same room.
Meanwhile, the man’s son from his previous marriage said the last time he met his father was three days ago.
The 20-year-old, who declined identification, said his father told him he was depressed but did not reveal the cause.
“There was nothing unusual about him but I came to know that my three young siblings did not go to school since my stepmother died 20 days ago,” he said.
Reports by EMBUN MAJID and OMAR OSMAN