JAISALMER: A woman and her three children were found dead in a water tank in Tapra village of Balotra district on Thursday morning, in what police suspect to be a case of joint suicide. The deceased have been identified as Mamta, 32, wife of Andaram Patel, her sons Naveen, 7, Rugaram, 4, and six-month-old daughter Manvi.According to police, the incident came to light when Mamta’s mother-in-law noticed her missing from home early Thursday. After searching the area, she found Mamta’s slippers near the farm tank and, on peering inside, saw the bodies of Mamta and her three children. She immediately alerted the villagers and the police.Personnel from Jasol and Siwana police stations, along with a civil defence team and villagers, reached the spot and retrieved the bodies from the tank. The bodies were sent to the hospital for postmortem. Police said that at the time of the incident, Mamta’s husband, Andaram Patel, was in Bengaluru, where he runs a medical shop. He has been informed and is on his way back to the village. The father-in-law works in a factory in Balotra.Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar said that the family had been staying at their farm in Panauthri Nadi, about three kilometres from Tapra village, for the past ten days to work on crop harvesting. On Wednesday night, after dinner, the family went to sleep. Sometime late at night or early Thursday morning, Mamta is believed to have taken her three children to the tank. Police suspect that she may have thrown the children into the tank before jumping in herself. All four are believed to have died by drowning.Siwana Deputy Superintendent of Police Neeraj Sharma said that the reasons behind the suspected suicide are still unclear. Police are questioning family members and villagers to ascertain any possible causes or circumstances that may have led to the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and the police are also waiting for the postmortem report to confirm the cause of death.The incident has shocked the local community, and villagers have expressed grief over the loss of the young family. Police have assured that all angles will be thoroughly investigated to determine the reasons behind the tragedy.
