Poorna Kaameshwari Sivaraj, 36, and her three-year-old son, Kailash Kuha Raj.
London:
Scotland Yard in London has opened a murder investigation after three members of a family of Tamil origin were found dead in their west London apartment.
Metropolitan Police officers forced entry into a building in Brentford on Tuesday after concerns were expressed for the welfare of Poorna Kaameshwari Sivaraj.
They discovered the body of the 36-year-old woman and her three-year-old son, Kailash Kuha Raj. Her husband, Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan, was found severely injured with a knife and died at the scene shortly after.
Police believe the 42-year-old was injured when officials entered the property. While police have yet to confirm their line of inquiry and an autopsy of the bodies is scheduled for Thursday, it is suspected to be a murder-suicide case.
“Although we are only in the early stages of this investigation, it appears that Poorna and Kailash have been dead for some time. This is a murder investigation and my team will work diligently to establish the sequence. events leading up to their murders and the death of Kuha Raj Sithamparanathan, ”said Chief Detective Inspector Simon Harding of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation.
He said their initial investigations established that Poorna Sivaraj and her son had not been seen or heard from for a few days, possibly since around September 21.
“We know the family often walked their dog, a poodle cross, in and around the area and I would ask anyone who saw them at any time over the past month to contact the police so we can start building a full picture of their lives, ”MrHarding said.
“I know I speak on behalf of all the officers on my team that words cannot sufficiently sum up the devastation this horrific incident will have on the families of those involved. However, I can reassure them that we will do all we can to. provide them with the answers they need about what happened here, ”he said.
The police have also sought to reassure the neighborhood following the deaths of families from Malaysia and of Sri Lankan and Tamil origin.
“This horrific incident naturally caused tremendous shock and concern among local residents and throughout the borough; all our hearts go out to the family and friends of those affected,” said Peter Gardner, the local police commander. of the Met.
He praised the London Ambulance Service (LAS) paramedics who rushed to the scene and worked “tirelessly and professionally under extremely traumatic circumstances” as they tried to save the man’s life.
“Our officers in the Western Zone Command Unit are doing all they can to help our fellow Specialist Crime as we work to understand what led to this terrible incident. Local residents can expect to see officers on the scene and to patrol the local area. reassuring, and if they have any concerns, I urge them to speak to our officers, ”Mr. Gardner said.
Met Police said they initially received a call on Sunday evening from a family member expressing concerns over Poorna’s well-being. Officers visited the apartment several times in the early hours of Monday, but received no response.
“From talking to neighbors as the day wore on, concerns escalated and a decision was made to force entry,” Met police said.
The Professional Standards Branch made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because Sithamparanathan’s fatal self-inflicted injury meets the criteria for a mandatory referral.
