Ghaziabad suicides lay bare troubling family secrets - 3 wives, 5 kids shared one room in 3BHK flat; father's story under cloud

• Three sisters died after jumping from a ninth-floor apartment in Ghaziabad
• Police find family instability, financial distress, and past unexplained deaths.
• Investigation ongoing, all angles including suicide and neglect being examined

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The deaths of three minor sisters who jumped from a ninth-floor apartment in Ghaziabad have raised disturbing questions about what was really happening inside their home. What first appeared to be a tragic case linked to mobile phone addiction is now unfolding into a far more complex and troubling story involving multiple marriages, financial distress, and past unexplained deaths.

The deceased, 12-year-old Pakhi, 14-year-old Prachi and 16-year-old Nishika died last Wednesday after falling from their flat in Bharat City, a residential township in Ghaziabad. Police initially said the girls took the extreme step after their parents objected to their gaming habits and took away their phones. But as investigators began questioning family members, several inconsistencies and hidden details came to light.

What really led to the sisters’ deaths?

Police say the three girls jumped from the ninth floor of their building. Post-mortem reports confirmed that all three died due to serious head injuries caused by the fall. Officials have ruled out sexual assault.

According to the father, Chetan Kumar, the girls were upset after he confiscated their mobile phones, claiming they were addicted to Korean games, dramas and music. A 30-page diary recovered from the house allegedly mentions the girls’ frustration over losing access to K-dramas and K-pop.

However, officers now believe the phone addiction angle may only be a small part of a much larger picture involving emotional stress, living conditions and family instability.

Why is the father’s story under suspicion?

As the investigation deepened, police found that Chetan Kumar had been changing his statements during questioning. A senior officer said Kumar initially tried to hide details about his marriages, especially his third wife.

Kumar told police he married his second wife because his first wife could not conceive. But this claim does not match the ages of his children. His eldest daughter, Nishika, was around 16 years old, raising questions about when the marriages actually took place.

“Kumar’s statements do not add up logically. There are gaps and contradictions,” a senior police officer was quoted by NDTV as saying. The official added that investigators are carefully rechecking his timeline.

How did three wives and five children live together?

Police revealed that Kumar lived in a three-bedroom flat with his three wives, Sujata, Hina and Tina, and five children. Shockingly, all of them allegedly slept in a single room.

Kumar married Sujata in 2010 and later married her sister Hina in 2013. With Sujata, he had a daughter and a mentally challenged son. With Hina, he had two daughters, Pakhi and Prachi, both of whom died in the incident.

In 2023, Kumar married Tina, a 22-year-old woman who had converted to Hinduism from Islam. The couple has a three-year-old daughter. Police said Tina had earlier worked with Kumar.

When asked how he managed to marry three women without divorcing any of them, police said the women had allegedly given their consent. “So far, no formal complaint has been made by any of the wives,” said ACP Atul Kumar Singh.

What role did money troubles play?

Financial stress appears to have been another major factor in the family’s life. Kumar, who works as a stockbroker, is allegedly under a debt of nearly Rs 2 crore.

Police said he was under such pressure that he sold one of his daughters’ mobile phones just 15 days before the incident to pay an electricity bill. Investigators also revealed that the girls were not sent back to school even after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, allegedly due to the family’s financial condition.

The cramped living space, lack of schooling and mounting debt may have added to the emotional strain faced by the children.

Are there links to a mysterious death in 2018?

Adding to the unease is the death of Sujata and Hina’s sister in 2018. She allegedly fell from a balcony while visiting the family. The incident was treated as an accidental death at the time, and no police complaint was filed.

Investigators are now revisiting this incident as part of the broader probe to understand whether there is any pattern or missed warning signs.

Meanwhile, police have traced the girls’ mobile phones and sent them for forensic examination to piece together what happened in their final hours. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, and all angles, suicide, family pressure and possible neglect, are being examined.