Mumbai Navy deaths: Wife, children’s bodies more decomposed than sailor’s, cops suspect they died first

Purnamal Mehra, a 28-year-old sailor in the Indian Navy, allegedly took his wife and two young children's lives before ending his own, prompting an investigation into potential motives. The incident unfolded in Mumbai, with the bodies discovered on August 15 by police responding to an emergency call. Mehra, who had taken 15 days of parental leave following the birth of his second child in June, had not returned to duty since.

The police found Oma, their three-year-old son Yash, and Mehra's two-month-old daughter unresponsive on a bed. Upon arrival, the bodies exhibited advanced decomposition, while Mehra's appeared less so, leading investigators to suspect he may have survived after the others. Police noted Mehra's history of depression, for which he was under medication, and his estrangement from four siblings over monetary and property disputes.

Brijbal Mehra, Mehra's brother, revealed a strained relationship that had grown worse in recent months, with no contact between the brothers for five months. Police are examining these familial conflicts as potential contributing factors to Mehra's actions. Additionally, they suspect Mehra erased digital communications from both his and his wife's phones before his death, a discovery prompting further forensic investigations.

The case remains under active investigation, with police awaiting post-mortem and forensic reports to piece together the exact timeline and circumstances of the tragic event.