Indian-origin couple, 2 children found dead inside home in US; police launches homicide probe
New York(PTI): An Indian-origin couple and their two children were found dead in their home in the US state of New Jersey and police are investigating the matter as a homicide.
Tej Pratap Singh, 43, and Sonal Parihar, 42, were found dead alongside their 10-year-old son and 6-year-old in their Plainsboro home sometime after 4:30 pm on Wednesday, the Plainsboro Police Department said.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Eamon Blanchard of the Plainsboro Police Department announced on Thursday that a homicide is currently under investigation.
On the evening of October 4, authorities received a 911 call requesting a welfare check at a residence in Plainsboro. Upon their arrival Plainsboro Police Department discovered four deceased victims in the house," they said in a joint statement.
"This tragedy remains under investigation and autopsies are being performed today," they said, adding an initial investigation determined that there is no threat to the public.
Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call the Plainsboro Police Department.
A joint message from Mayor Peter Cantu and Chief Eamon Blanchard, Director of Public Safety, said that the Plainsboro community experienced a heartbreaking loss of life.
"We are all saddened by this tragic event. What happened in our community is beyond comprehension," stated Mayor Peter Cantu.
Plainsboro police officers are currently working with their law enforcement colleagues to conclude the investigation.
"Please be assured that this is an isolated occurrence and there are no additional concerns for the safety and well-being of the community related to this incident," Blanchard said.
"Our public safety personnel remain vigilant and resilient, and will continue to ensure the safety of the Plainsboro community," the joint statement said.
As of Thursday morning, the family’s home on Titus Lane still had crime scene tape posted around the lawn, footage from News 12 New Jersey showed.
The family’s remains were discovered when a relative called for a welfare check. At the time, police said they were looking into the tragedy as a possible murder-suicide, the outlet said.
Relatives told CBS News that they were shocked by the family’s deaths, and noted that Singh and Parihar appeared to be a happy couple.
Singh, in particular, was active in the community.
At the time of his death, Singh worked as a Lead APIX Engineer for Ness Digital Engineering, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Both Singh and Parihar had careers in IT, including the Human Resources sector, relatives said.
The couple’s children were remembered in a note from the school district to parents, News 12 New Jersey reported.
“The district was informed by local law enforcement of a horrific tragedy involving one of our Plainsboro families with a Wicoff student and a Millstone River School student,” Superintendent David Aderhold wrote, referring to two of the area elementary schools.
“As the law enforcement investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide any additional information at this time. The District joins our community in grief and sorrow over this tragic event.” Singh and Parihar purchased their home in August 2018 for USD 635,000, records showed.
Neighbours described the family as friendly and said they could often be seen walking around the quiet street.
A neighbour who asked not to be named said she had been friendly with the family for more than a decade.
The woman said her daughter usually met the 6-year-old girl at the bus stop to ride to school together every morning. Hours before the family was found, the girl didn’t show up.
“It was weird for me to not see her in the morning,” said the neighbour. “They were such a sweet family.” The neighbour said she texted Parihar later that morning but never received a reply.
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Zubeen Garg's drowning in Singapore highlights vessel operators' responsibility: legal experts
Singapore (PTI): The drowning of Indian singer-composer Zubeen Garg has brought the spotlight on rules and regulations that concern responsibilities of vessel operators when dealing with intoxicated passengers, according to a media report that cited legal experts.
A cultural icon in India’s northeastern region, 52-year-old Garg travelled to Singapore in September 2025 to perform at a live event. A day before his performance, he went on a yacht trip with a group of people. He drowned while swimming in the sea near Lazarus Island, which is a popular diving spot.
His death shook his home state Assam, where millions came out on the streets mourning. Later, police cases were registered against the organiser of the event, his manager and some others.
Nico Lee, managing director of the Triangle Legal law firm, told The Straits Times that Singapore has Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations under which there are provisions to debar drunk passengers.
The owner, agent or captain of the vessel must not allow persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs onboard if they are intoxicated to a point where they endanger safety of the vessel, its crew or any person in it.
“In terms of civil liability, it could be argued that a yacht captain is negligent, as he owes a prima facie duty of care to guests on board under general negligence principles,” Lee was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The singer and his entourage of about 15 individuals were partying on a chartered vessel, which they had boarded at Marina at Keppel Bay.
A death certificate issued by the Singapore General Hospital listed his cause of death as drowning.
An autopsy report suggested that Garg had 333 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system, which was four times the legal limit for driving in Singapore and is likely to have impacted his coordination.
Citing Garg’s case, Lee said the circumstances were serious, as the controller of the vessel knew that the guest was intoxicated. Also, he may not have understood or processed a safety briefing for all passengers.
“That combination makes reliance on an ordinary briefing inadequate. If intoxication reaches a level that endangers the safety of the vessel or persons on board, the person in charge should not permit boarding at all,” he said.
According to Lee, the vessel’s operators could also have assigned a crew member to directly supervise him or ensure that he received a one-to-one explanation when he was capable of understanding.
Part of the responsibility could be attributed to the guest if he chose to enter the water and ignore instructions or behave dangerously despite the yacht owner or charterer’s best efforts, Lee said.
Vanessa Sandhu from Clifford Law LLP told The Straits Times that a key question is whether the yacht captain or operator owed a “duty of care” to the passenger and, if so, whether a breach of that duty caused the death.
“A yacht captain and operator generally owe passengers a duty to take reasonable care for their safety while on board, including swimming or water activities. This may include providing safety equipment and issuing appropriate safety instructions,” the daily quoted Sandhu as saying.
“However, the standard of care is an objective one, based on what a reasonable captain or operator would have done in the circumstances. It is not an absolute obligation to prevent all harm,” she said.
During the coroner’s inquiry, the operators of the vessel had said that no one had forced the singer to consume alcohol or enter the water, and that the entire entourage was informed on the yacht about the necessity of wearing life jackets before going for a swim.
A coroner’s inquiry on March 25 ruled Garg’s death as accidental drowning. On April 1, the police said that investigations into the singer's death had concluded, with no evidence of foul play.
However, in Assam, where seven persons were arrested in connection with Garg’s case, and some of them charged with murder, the matter is being heard in the court. All the suspects have denied any wrongdoing.
