Cuttack: A 60-year-old man and his teenaged daughter were found dead in their rented flat at Badambadi in Odisha’s Cuttack city.
The deceased have been identified as Manas Ranjan Das and his 17-year-old daughter Harshita Hemangin.
According to police, Manas Ranjan was found hanging from the roof, while Harshita’s body was discovered on the bed in their flat on Friday. The flat was found locked from inside.
Initial investigations revealed that Manas Ranjan, who worked with a finance firm, was going through a financial crisis and had not paid rent for the last three months. The landlord’s recent eviction notice might have added to his mental distress, prompting him to take the extreme step.
“The father-daughter duo was supposed to vacate the flat today. When the flat owner knocked the doors, there was no response. Out of suspicion, someone checked from the rear window and found Manas hanging from the roof,” a neighbour told the media.
However, it is yet to be ascertained if the duo had entered into a suicide pact or the family ended his life after killing his daughter. “We have sent the bodies for postmortem and collected forensic samples from the scene. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the medical reports,” said Cuttack DCP Jagmohan Meena.
Meanwhile, Badambabi Police have begun an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to their deaths.
