SUNGAI PETANI: The bodies of a man and his three children were found in their house in Perdana Height, Amanjaya, today in what police believe is a case of murder-suicide.
They were found in the same room the man’s wife ended her life barely three weeks ago.
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.
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.
Sivarau’s mother-in-law S. Punita, 60, said the death of the four was too much for her to bear as she was still grieving the death of her daughter.
"It was too hard for me to accept it, I lost my daughter and now I lost my grandchildren and son-in-law," she said.
Punita said she last saw the four during dinner last night and they went upstairs to sleep at about 10pm.
The elderly woman said she was awaken by the sound of her granddaughter crying but did not suspect anything amiss.
“I woke up at 8am today but did not see any of them so when they failed to show up for lunch I went up and knocked on their door.
“I opened the door to find their lifeless bodies and immediately notify my granddaughter's school teacher who later called the police,” she said.
Punita said since several days ago she noticed Sivarau acting restless and anxious and assumed that he was sad after losing his wife.
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 to be named, 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