Dubai: Police have confirmed the grisly discovery of a deceased couple and their daughter in their home following what is believed to be a murder-suicide.
Authorities said that the bodies of Santosh Kumar, a Kerala film producer and distributor, and his wife and daughter were found after a family member made enquiries about their absence and a search ensued of the family flat.
Their bodies were found on July 15.
Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police Chief, said that investigations showed that Kumar had financial problems and no one else was involved.
He said that police received a call from Kumar’s cousin who said he had been unable to contact him since July 14.
Major General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said permission was granted to open Kumar’s apartment in Al Nahda near NMC Hospital.
Maj Gen Al Mazeina said that the team found the door locked from the inside.
“When police entered the apartment they found the bodies. The man and his wife had their arteries severed and his child was asphyxiated,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.
He said that the woman was found on the bed with her wrists slit next to her daughter who had been smothered with a pillow — according to forensic doctors — and the husband was found with his wrists slit next to the bed.
The father, Maj Gen Al Mansouri said, had left a note stating where his daughter and wife’s passports were kept in the apartment.
Bounced cheques
Extensive investigations revealed that the case was a suicide, Maj Gen Al Mansouri said: “Investigations revealed he had multiple bounced cheques in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and that he was a partner in a maintenance company, but had no enemies,” he said.
Procedures are under way to hand over the bodies to the family’s relatives, so they can send them back to their home country.
Friends and relatives of Kumar, 48, his wife, Manju, 38, and daughter, Gauri, 9, were shocked and saddened by news of their deaths.
One of Kumar’s cousin, who declined to be named, originally alerted the police.
He told Gulf News: “My wife and Santhosh’s wife, Manju, were the best of friends and were constantly in touch with each other on Facebook and WhatsApp. In fact, I always found social media and the need for people to constantly update their status a bit exasperating. However, today I am relieved it was because of Manju’s addiction to social media that we were alerted to the fact that something was amiss. They had a WhatsApp group that included other cousins in Kerala, Singapore and Manju’s sister in Qatar.
“Manju had this habit of constantly updating her status on Facebook, even when she left the house to shop or went out to eat at a restaurant. She would post pictures. From July 9, my wife could not get in touch with her. Our cousins were trying to call her in Dubai and they got no reply. In a couple of days their phones were switched off and that is when I went to the police station. CID took no time in opening the door. The air-conditioning was switched off as though deliberately so that the stench would not travel through the ducts. I was not allowed to see the bodies. The moment the door was broken open the stench was unbearable and I was immediately asked to leave as the police and paramedics removed the body. I cannot believe my uncle could take such a step although prima facie there was no evidence of any forced entry into the apartment. He was such an optimistic and strong person and there was no hint of any kind of depression. I cannot believe he was going through a financial crisis as he never revealed that. We were in touch until last week.
Only a few months ago he sold his old Hyundai Sonata to buy a brand new Fortuner. He was a little portly and he needed a bigger car. He posted a picture of the car with the family on FB. If he had financial problems would he be buying a car?” he said as he broke down.
Vijayan also remembers Manju as a very quiet and caring person.
“We went to their home almost every week and often came home after dinner. Manju always insisted on meals together and they looked so happy together. If my wife and I ever quarrelled he would counsel us saying that despite being married to Manju for so long they never quarrelled. Santhosh absolutely doted on his daughter, Gauri, who was studying in grade four. He could not live without her for five seconds; how could he even bear to hurt her? Our extended family in Kerala is absolutely devastated and some of my uncle’s brothers are trying to arrange for emergency visas to be here. I am in no position to take any decision about where the funeral rites will be held. I am waiting for the post-mortem report and the rest of the family members to arrive,” he said.
Madhavan (name changed on request), a close friend of Santhosh, finds it difficult to believe that the deceased was going through a financial crisis.
“Santhosh was reasonably wealthy back home in his hometown in Ernakulum district. He had properties which he could dispose of. He owned a general maintenance company here. Officially he had produced three pictures, but unofficially he had helped with the financing of many other films. I met him a month ago at a community function in Al Bustan Rotana. He was absolutely fine. I spoke to him a fortnight ago. He was a live wire, the life of any party, always kind, generous, helpful and there were absolutely no signs to say he was depressed enough to enter into a suicide pact and wipe out his family.”
Kumar, who moved to Dubai five years ago, owned the Exclusive Maintenance Company in Karama and had also co-produced hit films Madambi and remakes of classics such as Neelathaamara and Rathinirvedham.
