A shocking incident has come to light from Saharanpur district, where five members of a family were found dead inside their home under suspicious circumstances. The bodies were discovered in a single room in Kaushik Bihar Colony, under the Sarsawa police station area.

The deceased have been identified as Ashok Rathi, his wife Ajita, mother Vidyavati, and their two sons Kartik and Dev. Preliminary investigation suggests all five died due to gunshot wounds.

According to police, bullet marks were found on Ashok’s chest, while the children had gunshot injuries on their foreheads. Ashok’s wife and mother were also shot. Three country-made pistols were recovered from near Ashok’s body, and mobile phones belonging to the deceased have been seized for examination.

Senior police officials, along with a forensic team, reached the spot soon after receiving information. The house was sealed, and evidence was collected. Police stated that the bullets were fired from close range.

Ashok Rathi was employed as an Amin at Nakur tehsil and had received the job under the deceased dependent quota following his father’s death. His elder son Kartik was studying in class 10 at an inter-college in Nakur, while younger son Dev was a class 9 student at a local public school.

Neighbours described the family as peaceful and said they were unaware of any disputes or tensions, adding to the mystery surrounding the incident.

Police officials said that, based on initial findings, the case appears to be a suicide, though all angles, including murder, are being thoroughly investigated. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem after completing legal formalities, and further clarity is expected once forensic and post-mortem reports are received.