Nanded (Maharashtra), December 25, 2025: A farming family of four was found dead at separate locations in Maharashtra’s Nanded district on Thursday morning, with police suspecting a case of mass suicide, officials said.
The bodies of farmer Ramesh Sonaji Lakhe (51) and his wife Radhabai Lakhe (45) were discovered around 8 am inside their house at Jawala Murar village in Mudkhed tehsil. The couple was found lying motionless on a cot, prompting locals to alert the police.
A short while later, the bodies of their two sons — Umesh (25) and Bajrang (23) — were found on nearby railway tracks. Preliminary findings suggest that the two young men jumped in front of a speeding train, police said.
Police Inspector Dattatray Manthale said the circumstances indicate a coordinated act by the family, though the exact sequence of events is still under investigation. “The parents were found dead in their home, while the sons lost their lives on the railway tracks. A forensic science team has been called to collect evidence, and the truth will emerge only after a detailed technical probe and post-mortem examinations,” he said.
While investigators are treating the incident as a suspected suicide pact, officials said no suicide note has been recovered so far. The Lakhe family belonged to the small and marginal farming community, but police have not yet confirmed whether financial stress, domestic issues or any other reason led to the tragedy.
Neighbours described the family as hardworking and said they were known to struggle with the challenges of small landholdings but never openly spoke about any major distress.
The Nanded rural police have begun recording statements of relatives and close acquaintances and are examining all possible angles to determine what drove the family to take such an extreme step.
