Indian-origin nurse, 2 kids found dead in 'tragic' triple murder in UK
London, Dec 16: An Indian-origin nurse from Kerala and her two young children have died after being found with serious injuries at their home in the Northampton region of eastern England, local police said as they launched a murder investigation on Friday.
Northamptonshire Police said that formal identification is yet to take place, but the woman is believed to be 35-year-old Anju Asok and the two children have been named as Jeeva Saju, aged 6, and Janvi Saju, aged 4.
They were discovered with serious injuries at their home in Kettering on Thursday after police were alerted by friends and family.
A 52-year-old man, not identified by the police, has since been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident and remains in police custody for questioning.
"We continue to work around the clock in order to progress this investigation and establish the timeline of events which led to these tragic deaths," said Detective Inspector Simon Barnes, Senior Investigating Officer with Northamptonshire Police.
"Whilst we continue to process the scene of these murders, local residents will see an increased police presence and I am grateful for the support of the local community. We remain committed in seeking justice for Anju, Jeeva and Janvi, and although we are not seeking anyone else in connection with their deaths, I would still encourage anyone with any information to contact us," he said.
Police officers were called to the residential property on Thursday morning and said that despite their best efforts and that of the paramedics, the woman died at the scene and the two children later died in hospital.
Locally, tributes poured in for the nurse, who worked at Kettering General Hospital, and her children.
Her husband reportedly worked at a hotel and the family is believed to have been in the UK for around a year or so.
Asok was a Malayali nurse from Kottayam district in Kerala who was working for the National Health Service (NHS) at Kettering General Hospital, which paid tribute to its staff member.
"Anju Asok was an internationally trained nurse who joined our KGH family in 2021 and predominantly worked on Barnwell B one of our Orthopaedic wards," said hospital chief executive Deborah Needham.
"She was a committed and compassionate staff nurse, who was loved and respected by her dear friends and colleagues. All our thoughts are with her friends and family as they come to terms with this sudden loss," she said.
Sarah Powell, head teacher at Kettering Park Infant Academy where the two children were enrolled, said the school was "devastated" by the news of the deaths.
"They were delightful and caring children who had many friends at our school. They will be sadly missed by us all," said Powell.
"All of us in Kettering find ourselves shocked by the news of the tragic deaths of three members of our community," said Councillor Keli Watts, Mayor of Kettering.
"We all send our love and support to the friends and family of the victims and also to neighbours at Petherton Court. We all stand ready to support those affected," she said.
Councillor Jason Smithers, leader of local North Northants Council: "This is a tragic case and my thoughts are with the loved-ones of the victims at this time".
Earlier, Northamptonshire Police said officers are not seeking anyone else in relation to the "desperately sad" case.
"There are no words to describe how upsetting this incident is, but I want to reassure the public that we have a team of detectives working on the case, absolutely determined to get justice for this woman and the two children," said Superintendent Steve Freeman, Local Policing Area Commander for Northamptonshire Police.
"We understand that the local community, and indeed many people across the country, will be shocked by this event. It is a desperately sad incident and I want to be absolutely clear on our unwavering commitment in establishing what has happened here and in seeking justice for this woman and these young children," he said.
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BLO found dead in Bengal, work-related pressure alleged
Kolkata (PTI): A Booth Level Officer (BLO) was found dead in West Bengal's Bankura district on Sunday, triggering allegations that work-related pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a role, police said.
The incident occurred in Ranibandh block, where the body of the deceased, Haradhan Mandal, was recovered from a school premises on Sunday morning.
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"Mandal was a schoolteacher by profession and served as the BLO of Booth No. 206 under the Rajakata area of Ranibandh block," a police officer said.
According to the officer, a note bearing the deceased's signature was recovered from the spot, in which he reportedly referred to being unable to cope with work pressure.
"We have seized the note and sent the body for post-mortem examination," he said.
The police initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to Mandal's death.
Officials said all angles are being examined.
"Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to SIR panic, including suicides," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed on December 2.
The SIR exercise began in the state on November 4.
