Shocking deaths of 5 with gunshot wounds to head: UP cops say killer sent 8 voice notes to sister - 'Made a huge mistake'

• Man in Saharanpur killed four family members, then died by suicide at home
• Police found voice messages and depression medicines at the scene
• Investigation focuses on mental health, motive, and firearm access

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A 40-year-old man allegedly killed four members of his family and later died by suicide at his rented home in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur in the early hours of Tuesday. Police on Wednesday said they recovered eight voice messages from his mobile phone, sent to his sister within a 15-minute window around 3 am, along with medicines prescribed for depression and other mental health conditions.

The man, identified as Ashok Rathi (40), is accused of shooting dead four members of his family before killing himself. He worked as an amin (land surveyor) in the district administration department.

According to the police, the preliminary investigation showed that Rathi was allegedly undergoing treatment for depression and that he may have allegedly shot his family members before turning the gun on himself.

Police said the voice messages were sent to Rathi’s sister within a short span of 15 minutes around 3 am. The recordings are now being closely examined and will be sent to a forensic laboratory for further analysis. Investigators believe the voice notes could offer crucial clues about Rathi’s mental state and the sequence of events leading up to the incident.

An FIR has been registered at the Sarsawa police station, and a detailed investigation has been launched to find out what pushed Rathi to take such an extreme step. Rathi worked as a surveyor with the district administration, officials said.

On Tuesday evening, the last rites of Rathi and the four victims were performed after postmortem examinations were completed. The victims were identified as his mother Vidyawati (70), wife Anjita (35), and their two sons, Kartik (16) and Dev (14).

According to police, one of the voice notes contains Rathi saying, “bahut badi galti ho gayi” (I have made a huge mistake). Officers said this suggests that he had already shot his family members when he recorded the message. Of the eight voice notes, six are less than a minute long, while two are longer.

“These recordings may help us understand his state of mind and what exactly happened inside the house,” a senior police officer was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Saharanpur Superintendent of Police Sagar Jain said the FIR was filed based on a complaint from the deceased man’s relatives. “We are also investigating how Rathi obtained the firearm used in the crime,” he said.

Police added that medicines related to depression and other mental health disorders were recovered from the house. Rathi’s medical history is now being verified to check whether mental health issues played a role in the incident.

During the search of the house, police also recovered three country-made pistols. Forensic teams have collected evidence from the spot, and further investigation is underway.

Officials said they are examining all possible angles, including mental health stress, personal issues and access to weapons.