Kerala: IRS official, his family members found dead in Kochi customs quarters

Kochi, Feb 20 (IANS) In what’s believed to be a family suicide, the bodies of three people were found at the official customs quarters in Kochi on Thursday night.

The dead have been identified as Manish Agarwal an IRS official from Jharkhand, his sister Shalini and their aged mother Shakunthala.

Manish belongs to the 2011 IRS batch and was a top official at the GST Commissioner’s office here.

His sister Shalini has been staying with her brother and mother for the past few months.

While the body of the brother and sister was found hanging, the body of the mother was spotted lying on her bed.

Manish was a silent person and for the past decade, he has been working in Kerala at various offices of the Customs and GST and came to his present job at Kochi recently.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Shalini had last year secured a high rank at the Jharkhand Public Service Commission examinations.

Since the Customs quarters is out of bonds for the local community, the compound is frequented by only the residents.

Neighbours pointed out that it was only the mother of Manish who was seen outside at times.

Manish according to his colleagues had gone on six days of leave but even after his leave was over he failed to turn up in the office. So his colleagues on Thursday evening arrived at his home and with a foul smell coming from the place, they alerted the police.

After the police arrived, the front door was forcefully opened. The local police have registered a case of unnatural death and have begun a probe.

The forensic team also have arrived and the inquest will now be prepared and the bodies will be taken for post-mortem.

The top officials of the Customs and GST have also arrived.

–IANS

sg/dan