Two weeks after sister's death, Hyderabad siblings found dead in Varanasi hotel

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and viscera samples have been preserved for forensic analysis.

• Hyderabad siblings found dead in Varanasi hotel; suspected suicide
• They traveled to scatter ashes of sister who died by suicide
• Police found medicines, no signs of foul play or forced entry

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A brother and sister from Hyderabad were found dead inside a locked hotel room in Varanasi on Tuesday in an alleged case of suicide, nearly two weeks after their elder sister died by suicide at her home, police said.

The deceased were identified as Ganesh Goud Gunlapally (46) and his sister Dhanalakshmi Gunlapally (38), residents of Sitaphal Mandi in Hyderabad-Secunderabad. As per the police, the siblings had travelled to Varanasi to immerse the ashes of their elder sister, Amla Devi, who allegedly died by suicide on January 28.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Gaurav Bansal said the bodies were discovered after hotel staff alerted authorities when the siblings failed to respond on their scheduled day of checkout.

"Repeated calls to the room went unanswered. When there was no response, the hotel staff informed the police. The room was opened using a master key in our presence," Bansal said.

According to police, the bodies were found lying near the bed, with blood seen oozing from their mouths. Several medicines and empty wrappers were recovered from the room, raising suspicion of poisoning.

“Prima facie, the case appears to be one of suicide. Some medicines were recovered from the room. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem report,” Bansal said.

Station House Officer (SHO) Sanjay Kumar Mishra of Sigra police station said there were no signs of forced entry or struggle. "There was no indication of foul play. The room was locked from inside," he said.

Police recovered identification documents, including Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, a passport and a driving licence, which helped establish their identities. Cash amounting to around Rs 6.6 lakh was also found among their belongings.

Officers contacted the siblings’ cousin, Swaroop, using details found in the documents. He told police that the siblings had been emotionally distressed following their sister’s death.

“Their mother died when they were very young, and their father passed away three years ago. After that, they became emotionally and financially dependent on their elder sister,” Mishra said, citing the cousin.

Ganesh was employed as a data analyst at a private firm. Neither sibling was married, police said.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and viscera samples have been preserved for forensic analysis. CCTV footage from the hotel is being examined and staff members are being questioned as part of the investigation, police added.

Further investigation is underway.