Two Madhya Pradesh sisters die by suicide with four children within hours: Police

Two sisters, including a 35-year-old pregnant woman, living at separate places allegedly died by suicide within six hours, along with four of their children in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, police said on Thursday, and added that they were investigating the circumstances behind the deaths.

Police said the 35-year-old, who was eight months pregnant, jumped into a well with her three daughters and six-year-old son on Wednesday. The woman and her son died, while her daughters survived.

Her 40-year-old sister allegedly jumped into a well along with her three children, including her 14-year-old and 11-year-old daughters and six-year-old son, after learning about her sister’s death. All four died.

Ravi Chauhan, a local police station in charge, said the younger sister was struggling with depression since her husband died in a road accident about one-and-a-half months ago.

“The woman was eight months pregnant and had been under stress after losing her husband. She went to the farm and jumped into a well with her three daughters and son. The daughters managed to save themselves and alerted family members. Villagers pulled out the woman and her son, but both had died,” Chauhan said.

He added that her 14-year-old daughter, who survived, told police that her mother was worried about the family’s future and ongoing financial difficulties following her father’s death.

Jitendra Chandeliya, in charge of Kolaras police station, said the elder sister rushed to her farmland after receiving news of the 35-year-old’s death. He added that when she failed to return home by around 6pm, her family launched a search.

“At the farm, family members found footwear near a well. They then spotted a child’s body and alerted police. A police team reached the spot and recovered the bodies late on Wednesday night,” he said.

Police said the reason behind the elder sister’s alleged suicide remains unclear, although her family told police that the two sisters shared a close bond. “We are investigating the case and trying to ascertain the circumstances that led to this extreme step,” Chandeliya said.