Four hang to death on terrace in Mulund

Bharat Ovhal, 38, a businessman from Mulund, lived in a joint family with his wife, Sushma, 32, and their two children — Sakshi, 7, and Sumit, 5. The Ovhals were one big happy family comprising four brothers, their wives and kids and parents.

But, tragedy struck their home at B-11 Suryadarshan Colony, Mhada Complex, Mulund (East) early on Wednesday. Bharat, Sushma, Sakshi and Sumit were found dead — their bodies hanging from a water pipe running horizontally over the terrace of their two-storey building.

The police found a suicide note signed by Bharat. It said that no one was to be blamed for their deaths, but did not explain what drove them to end their lives.

It was a neighbour who first saw the four bodies hanging on the terrace. It was around 6.30am then. He immediately alerted the Ovhal family. Bharat’s brothers rushed towards the terrace, but found the door to it locked from the other side. They broke the door down to reach the bodies.

A member of the Ovhal family said that two ropes had been used to hang Sakshi and Sumit. Bharat and Sushma hanged themselves, using two ends of the same rope.

“The tragedy has shocked not only the Ovhals, but the entire Mhada Complex. Bharat was known for his social work in the area,” Vasant Lokhande, president of Mhada Colony Housing Association, Mulund, said.

The suicides baffled everyone. Bharat was believed to be doing well in his business of issuing ‘pollution under control’ (PUC) certificates to two- and four-wheelers. He had returned from Shirdi on Tuesday. After spending some time with his mother, Jaibai, he went out to attend to his business. In the evening, he returned home early and had dinner with the rest of his family.

Then he went to sleep with his wife and children on the terrace — they had a room of their own, but Bharat preferred sleeping on the terrace during the summer nights.

“There was nothing remotely strange about Bharat’s or Sushma’s behaviour,” Jaibai said. “All this seems so untrue.”

Police found a note on the terrace. Signed by Bharat, it stated that nobody was responsible for the tragedy. It added that Bharat had mortgaged his wife’s jewellery to avail a bank loan, but its amount was not mentioned. A cop said that handwriting experts will analyse the note to confirm that Bharat himself had written it.

A close relative of the Ovhal family, however, said that in December last year, Bharat had a bout of depression. “He used to say he would commit suicide. The family members rallied round him. They counselled him, and soon, Bharat became normal once again.”

Confirming it, Jaibai said, “Ever since, no one had ever noticed any abnormality in Bharat. Today’s tragedy was like a bolt from the blue.”

The bodies of all four were sent to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, for post-mortem. A police officer involved in the investigation said on condition of anonymity, “The suicide note says that no one is responsible for the tragedy. But it also states that Bharat was fed up with the financial crisis and the loan burden.”

Sakshi was the only girl child in the Ovhal family. The family patriarch, Dadarao Ovhal, has four sons and no daughter. Bharat’s three brothers are married, but none of them has a daughter, only sons.

So, Sakshi was everybody’s favourite. Her grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins are badly shaken by the tragedy. But of all the deaths, they mourn Sakshi’s the most. The seven-year-old girl was a student of King George High School, Mulund.