Tirupati, Ap 23: In a horrifying incident in Tirupati district, a family of five lost their lives within hours on Wednesday. Mohan, a middle-aged man, allegedly strangled his wife and mother before committing suicide on a railway track, where his two children also perished while trying to save him.

The tragedy unfolded in Venkatakrishna Palem panchayat, Narayanavanam mandal. Police disclosed the details on Thursday. Mohan’s wife, Harita (33), ran a tailoring and beauty business, while his mother, Chandrakala (65), was a homemaker.

After killing them at their home on Chakali Veedhi, Mohan picked up his children, Kaushik (14) and Harini (12), from school in Puttur, misleading the staff by saying their grandfather had passed away.

The murders were discovered when Harita’s brother, Balakrishna, visited the house after Mohan failed to return from a lunch errand. Shocked to find Harita and Chandrakala dead, he immediately informed the police. Special teams were deployed to locate Mohan, searching across Chittoor and Tirupati districts.

Investigations revealed that Mohan drove his children around before heading to Vepagunta railway station in Puttur mandal around 7:15 p.m. There, he placed his head on the tracks as a train approached. In an attempt to save him, his children were also struck by the Egmore-Kacheguda Express, which was traveling at approximately 100 km/h.

Police said the motive behind the killings and Mohan’s subsequent suicide remains unclear. Preliminary inquiries indicate that Mohan had no financial or mental health issues. Earlier that day, he had also repaid a personal debt to his sister.

Narayanavanam police have registered a case regarding the murders, while railway authorities are investigating the deaths on the tracks.