In Kerala, an additional commissioner of central excise and GST, Manish Vijay, along with his mother Shakunthala and sister Shalini, were found dead in their home, prompting police to suspect a case of suicide. Colleagues discovered the bodies after he failed to return to work post-leave. Manish and Shalini were found hanging, while their mother was found deceased in bed. A diary note indicated their sister abroad should be informed of their deaths. The family had a history of distress related to Shalini’s legal troubles in Jharkhand. Investigations are ongoing, with post-mortems pending the sister’s return.
Hyderabad:
An additional commissioner of central excise and GST, along with his mother and sister, was discovered deceased at their home in Kerala, with authorities suspecting a case of suicide, officials reported on Thursday. The situation was revealed when colleagues of the bureaucrat, Manish Vijay, visited his house due to worries about his absence from work after a four-day leave.
When the colleagues arrived at the official’s residence, they encountered a strong odor and promptly notified the police.
Manish and his sister, Shalini, were found hanging in different rooms, while their mother, Shakunthala, was located deceased on the bed. Police noted that the elderly woman was covered with a white cloth, and flowers had been placed beside her. This has suggested that the mother may have died first, or was possibly killed, before the siblings took their lives.
Kochi Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya informed NDTV that the bodies appeared to be a few days old and had begun to decompose. “We will only be able to estimate the time of death after a forensic examination,” he stated.
The police also discovered a diary in one of the rooms containing a note indicating that their sister, who resides abroad, should be informed of their passing.
The family, hailing from Jharkhand, resided in the Kakkanad Customs Quarters in Ernakulam district, Kerala.
Manish had previously served in Customs Preventive at Kozhikode Airport before transferring to Kochi a year and a half ago. His mother and sister had moved in with him a few months prior. According to authorities, Shalini was involved in a legal matter in Jharkhand, which led Manish to take a leave from his job.
Reports indicated that Shalini had achieved the top rank in the 2006 Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exam and was appointed as a deputy collector. However, her promotion was subsequently challenged and revoked, resulting in her dismissal. A CBI inquiry launched in 2024 led to a chargesheet, and trial proceedings were in progress.
The post-mortem examinations of the bodies will commence once their third sibling arrives from abroad. An unnatural death case has been filed, and further investigations are ongoing, according to the police. The autopsies for all three will be conducted when their sister returns to India, they added.