11 members of Pakistani migrant family found dead in India: report

Published August 9, 2020
A preliminary police investigation suggested that the incident may have arisen from a family dispute. — Photo courtesy BBC Urdu
A preliminary police investigation suggested that the incident may have arisen from a family dispute. — Photo courtesy BBC Urdu

The bodies of 11 people from a single family were found in a field in India's Jodhpur district in Rajasthan state, BBC Urdu reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the family had migrated to India from Pakistan and only one member of the family now remains.

Police launched an investigation into the incident while traces of insecticide were found at the scene. A police official, Rahul Barhat, told the publication that forensic experts had been called in to assist with the probe.

"An investigation is being carried out to ascertain the exact cause of the incident," he said.

A preliminary police investigation suggested that the incident may have arisen from a family dispute, the report said.

Locals had alerted officials after finding the bodies, the report said, adding that the deceased were from the Bheel community and had come to India some eight years ago.

According to police, the family had rented a piece of land and used to cultivate it to earn a living. It added that 37-year-old Kewal Ram was the only surviving member of the family and was being questioned by the police.

The deceased included his parents, brother, three sisters, daughter and two sons, and 75-year-old Budha Ram, the head of the family.

According to preliminary reports, Kewal Ram survived because he was sleeping at a distance from the family's home.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was in contact with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to ascertain more details regarding the incident, including the cause and circumstances of the reported deaths.

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...