Daijiworld Media Network - Sagar
Sagar, Jul 26: A heartbreaking case of suspected mass suicide has shaken Tehar village in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, where four members of a family were found dead in the early hours of Saturday after reportedly consuming a deadly pesticide.
The deceased have been identified as Manohar Lodhi (45), his mother Phulrani (70), daughter Shivani (18), and son Aniket (16). Preliminary investigations suggest they ingested celphos tablets — a toxic chemical often used as a fumigant but notorious for its high fatality rate when consumed.
The incident came to light around 3:00 AM when Nandram Singh Lodhi, Manohar’s brother living on the upper floor of their farmhouse, was awakened by violent coughing and vomiting sounds from below. Rushing downstairs, he found his family members gasping for breath and immediately alerted neighbors and called for help.
Despite efforts to save them, Phulrani and Aniket were declared dead on the spot. Shivani passed away at Khurai Civil Hospital, while Manohar died in transit to the district hospital in Sagar.
According to Khurai Urban Police Station In-charge Yogendra Singh Dangi, early medical reports indicate celphos poisoning. “There are no clear answers yet,” Dangi stated, adding that the exact motive remains under investigation.
Police are exploring multiple leads, including possible domestic tensions. Notably, Manohar’s wife was away at her maternal home at the time of the tragedy. The family had been living in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Tehar village along with one brother who is intellectually disabled, while two other siblings stay within the village.
No suicide note has been found, but investigators are not ruling out the possibility of a suicide pact. Post-mortem examinations are ongoing, and statements from neighbors and surviving family members are being gathered to reconstruct the timeline and cause of the incident.
This case follows a similar episode in Dewas district just last month, where another family of four took their lives over social stigma after a controversial marriage within the family.
Celphos — which contains aluminium phosphide — is a widely available pesticide in rural India, particularly in Madhya Pradesh. Its accessibility and lethality have made it a frequent agent in suicides, despite its ban in many other countries. With no known antidote and a fatality rate exceeding 60%, celphos continues to pose a grave public health threat. In most cases, even rapid medical response offers limited chances of survival once symptoms begin.
The Tehar tragedy has once again spotlighted the urgent need for tighter regulation on the sale and storage of such substances and greater mental health support systems in rural communities.