Vijayapura Bhutanal Lake Deaths: Mother, 5 Children Found Dead; Police Suspect Suicide

Six members of a family, including a mother and her five children, were found dead in Vijayapura’s Bhutanal Lake. Police suspect suicide and are investigating the circumstances, while post-mortem and FSL reports are awaited.

A shocking incident unfolded at Bhutanal Lake in Vijayapura on Wednesday morning after the bodies of six members of a family, including a mother and her five children, were found floating in the water. The deceased included two sons and three daughters. The discovery left locals stunned, with residents initially suspecting that the bodies could belong to tourists. Police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot after receiving an alert and recovered all six bodies. The bodies have been sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination as the investigation continues.

Bodies Found Floating In Bhutanal Lake

Locals noticed the bodies in the lake during their morning walk and immediately alerted the police. Officers from the Adarsh Nagar police station reached the spot and, with the assistance of the fire brigade, retrieved all six bodies from the water.

Police identified all six deceased as members of the same family from Toravi in Vijayapura. A missing persons complaint had been filed for all six at the Vijayapura Rural Police Station on Monday, August 24.

Police Suspect Mass Suicide

The initial investigation has led police to suspect a case of mass suicide. However, officers have not ruled out other possibilities and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

According to police, the woman's husband had filed the missing persons complaint after the family could not be traced. The family had five children, including one child with a hearing impairment who was staying at a hostel. The mother had reportedly recently brought the child home.

Locals Raise The Alarm

Santosh, a local resident who was out for his morning walk, said the bodies were spotted at around 8 am.

"It was around 8 am when we were walking and saw the bodies in the lake. We immediately called the police," he said.

"We saw six bodies together, and we could see there were children among them. The police and fire brigade came and took them out. We don't know who the deceased are," he added.

Police Investigate Other Angles

Vijayapura SP Laxman Nimbargi said police received information about the bodies at around 8:45 am.

"We received the call at 8:45 am. The woman's husband had filed a missing complaint on Monday. The family had five children, and one child with a hearing impairment was in a hostel. The mother had recently brought that child home," Nimbargi said.

He added that the family had left their mobile phone at home, making it difficult for police to track their movements.

"We have information that there was a fight at the husband's house during preparations for the Shravana festival," the SP said.

Police are now investigating whether the deaths were a case of suicide or whether there was another angle to the incident. Samples will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination. Police also plan to question the husband and other family members as part of the investigation.