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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Shubman Gill set to be named Cricketer of the Year at BCCI annual gala
New Delhi (PTI): India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is set to be named Cricketer of the Year at the BCCI's annual awards to be held here on March 15.
The 26-year-old, who was not picked in the T20 side that defended the World Cup crown last month, enjoyed a stellar run in the other two formats.
He amassed 983 runs in Tests, including a whopping 754 in the drawn away series against England in 2025, at average of over 70.
His ODI runs tally stood at 490, including 188 runs during India's title-winning Champions Trophy campaign .
Overall, Gill accumulated 1,764 runs across formats at an average of 49, dotted with seven centuries and three fifties.
Although his T20 International form was not particularly impressive, he was in tremendous form during the IPL, scoring 650 runs for Gujarat Titans at an average of 50.
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid is set to be honored with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for his monumental contribution to Indian cricket, including guiding the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is set to be named the Best Association in domestic cricket.
