Kerala Shocker: Bureaucrat, Mother, And Sister Found Dead In Suspected Suicide

An additional commissioner of central excise and GST, his mother, and sister were found dead at their residence in Kerala’s Kochi on Thursday. The police suspect it to be a case of death by suicide, though investigations are ongoing to determine the exact sequence of events.  

The grim discovery was made when colleagues of the bureaucrat, Manish Vijay, visited his home after he failed to return to work following a four-day leave. Upon reaching the Customs Quarters in Kakkanad, Ernakulam district, they were met with a strong stench emanating from the flat. Alarmed, they immediately alerted the police.  

When the police entered the residence, they found the bodies of 48-year-old Manish Vijay and his 45-year-old sister, Shalini, hanging in separate rooms. Their 75-year-old mother, Shakunthala, was found lying on a bed, draped in a white cloth with flowers placed beside her. The condition of the bodies suggested they had been dead for several days, with signs of decomposition already setting in.  

Kochi Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya told NDTV, “The bodies were a few days old and had started to decay. Only after a forensic examination will we be able to determine the exact time of death.”  

The way Shakunthala’s body was arranged has led investigators to suspect that she may have died first—either naturally or by foul play—after which Manish and Shalini took their own lives. However, this theory remains unconfirmed pending further investigation.  

Police also discovered a diary in one of the rooms containing a note. The note reportedly requested that their sibling, a sister living abroad, be informed of their deaths. This has added a layer of mystery to the case, as authorities try to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy.  

The family, originally from Jharkhand, had been living in Kerala for some time. Manish Vijay, a 1998-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, had previously worked in Customs Preventive at Kozhikode Airport before transferring to Kochi a year and a half ago. His mother and sister had moved in with him a few months prior.  

Shalini, Manish’s sister, was reportedly embroiled in a legal battle in Jharkhand. She had ranked first in the 2006 Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exam and was appointed as a deputy collector. However, her rank was later challenged and canceled, leading to her dismissal. In 2024, a CBI inquiry into the case resulted in a chargesheet, and trial proceedings were underway.  

According to police sources, Manish had taken leave from work to support his sister during this legal ordeal. “Shalini was dealing with a lot of stress due to the case, and Manish was deeply involved in helping her,” said an officer familiar with the investigation.  

The police have registered a case of unnatural death and are awaiting the arrival of the family’s third sibling, who lives abroad, before conducting the post-mortem examinations. “The post-mortem will begin once their sister reaches India,” said Commissioner Vimaladitya.  

Forensic teams have been deployed to the flat to collect evidence, and officials are examining the family’s financial records, personal communications, and the diary found at the scene. “We are treating this as a sensitive case and will ensure that all aspects are thoroughly investigated,” a police spokesperson added.