5 of family found dead in Andhra Pradesh; suicide suspected

Five members of a family were found dead in a lodge room in the temple town of Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district on Tuesday, with police suspecting the incident a suicide pact linked to financial difficulties.

The deceased were identified as a 36-year-old man, his three sisters, aged 33, 45 and 50, and his 15-year-old nephew, all residents of Sri Sathya Sai district.

Atmakur deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ramanji Naik told reporters that the family members were found dead in a room of Vaddera Satram, a lodge run by the Vaddera community in Srisailam.

“One man and a minor were found dead in the hall, while the three women were found dead in the bathroom,” he said.

Quoting the lodge management, DSP Naik said the family checked into the room on July 28. “All five had been staying in the room and paid a daily rent of ₹800. The lodge authorities said they had asked the family to vacate after two days, as prolonged stays are not permitted. However, the family reportedly told the management that they were unwell and continued to stay,” he said.

The lodge’s staff told police that they had not seen any of the family members for the past three days.

“On Tuesday, the lodge staff noticed a strong foul smell from the room and went to check on the occupants. After finding the bodies, they alerted the Srisailam town police,” Naik said.

Police rushed to the spot, inspected the room, registered a case of suspicious death and launched an investigation, the DSP said.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the 36-year-old man was unmarried, while two of his sisters were living at their parental home after separating from their husbands.

“We have learnt that the family had been facing financial difficulties. We suspect these problems may have led to the deaths,” Naik said.

He said relatives of the deceased in Bathalapalli had been informed and that police were investigating the incident from all possible angles.

Srisailam temple authorities expressed concern over the incident and alleged that the Vaddera Satram management had violated accommodation rules.

Temple executive officer Srinivasa Rao said devotees were normally permitted to stay in accommodation provided by the temple for a maximum of 48 hours. “However, the Vaddera Satram management violated the rules by allowing the family to stay in the room for an extended period,” he said.

Temple authorities directed all private accommodation facilities in Srisailam to strictly follow the prescribed rules while allotting rooms to devotees.