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Family of three found dead in Andheri

Police suspect man murdered mother, grandmother, then hanged himself

Mumbai: A 33-year-old man, his mother and his grandmother were found dead in their Andheri residence in the early hours of Wednesday. The D.N. Nagar police suspect that the man killed both women and then hanged himself.

According to the police, the deceased, Sameer Baraskar (33), his mother, Meena (55), and his grandmother Fatima Sheikh (65) lived in a transit camp in Indira Nagar. A neighbour saw Sameer hanging from the celiing fan in the living room on Wednesday and raised an alarm.

“My three-year-old daughter accidentally pushed open the door to Sameer’s house, which was unlocked from inside. I was running after her, which is when I saw the body,” said the neighbour, Sita Bharati.

Residents then informed the D.N. Nagar police. The police found Meena and Fatima lying on the bedroom floor. All three were rushed to Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle, where they were declared dead.

Doctors said Meena and Fatima died of asphyxia due to strangulation.

No suicide note was found in the house. The motive behind Sameer’s actions is not yet known. “We believe that the family was facing some financial issues. This angle is being probed further,” said Police Inspector Kishor Sawant.

Neighbours also said they seemed to be in financial trouble. “A few days ago, Meena asked me about the procedure and eligibility criteria to get a bank loan. When I asked her the reason, she did not reply and left abruptly,” said Urmila Chaurasia, a neighbour.

The family ran a tea and snacks stall in Jeevan Nagar, Andheri. They did not interact much with the local residents. “They would leave in the morning and come back late at night. We don’t think there were any disputes in the family,” Ms. Bharati said.

The police said that Meena had married Fatima’s son Nawab Khan after her first husband passed away. Sameer was her and Nawab’s son. After Nawab passed away a few years ago, Meena reverted to using her previous surname.