Man Kills 4-Year-Old Son, Pregnant Wife, Parents, Himself In Alleged Suicide Pact

A man killed his pregnant wife, four-year-old and his parents before killing self in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Friday.

Police said the family went on a drive with some friends in their car Thursday night. In the wee hours of Friday, the family stopped at an agricultural land on the way back home where the incident took place. Police said the bodies of the victims were found at the land Friday morning. It is suspected that the man, identified as 38-year-old Om Prakash, took this extreme step following heavy loss in business. Police believe it to a suicide pact as no signs of resistance was found.

"The head of the family Om Prakash shot them all in their forehead before shooting himself in the mouth. There appears to be consent as no sign of resistance was found. Further investigations are on," police said. A case was registered under murder and abetment of suicide.

In a similar incident in the Indian state of Jharkhand earlier this week, a debt-ridden man killed his family before taking his own life. The body of the unidentified man was found hanging in a tree while the bodies of his wife and two minor children were found in a nearby well. Police found a suicide note in the scene which stated, “No one is to be blamed. I have decided to end my life with my family.” Though the reason for taking the step was not known, police said the man was ill and had borrowed money from several people.