Mumbai Navy sailor cleaned home, erased data after killing family: Cops

On August 14, an Indian Navy sailor named Purnamal Mehra allegedly killed his wife Oma and their two children, a three-year-old and a two-month-old baby, before taking his own life the following day, according to police reports. The bodies of Mehra, his wife, and their children were discovered inside their residence in Mumbai's Navy Nagar on August 15.

The condition of the bodies led investigators to believe that Oma and the children may have died before Mehra. Police suspect that Mehra had cleaned his home, emptied the garbage bin, formatted his and his wife's phones, and placed the bodies on the bed prior to his death. The investigation is focused on retrieving data from the electronic devices, as it could prove crucial for the ongoing investigation.

The police are awaiting the final post-mortem report to determine the cause of death and initiate a First Information Report against Mehra. Officials suspect that he strangled the two-month-old baby with a pillow, while the three-year-old and his wife may have been poisoned. The police had initially recorded the incident as an accidental death after finding the bodies.

It was later discovered that Mehra had killed his family at least 24 hours before his alleged suicide. The navy sailor was reportedly suffering from depression and undergoing treatment. His siblings had reportedly severed ties with him due to monetary and property disputes. Eight individuals have been questioned, including someone who witnessed the scene on August 15.

They reported that Mehra's residence was locked from the inside, and the door was only broken open after no one responded.