A Navy sailor, who allegedly killed his wife and two children before dying by suicide at their Navy Nagar home, had taken 15 days of parental leave in June but never returned to duty, the Cuffe Parade police said. Investigators are also looking into property and monetary disputes between the sailor and his siblings, which they suspect may have contributed to his depression. Police said the deceased had also been taking medication for depression.The incident came to light on August 15 when the Cuffe Parade police received information about a man allegedly hanging himself at a residence in Navy Nagar. A police team found Purnamal Mehra, a sailor with the Indian Navy, dead. His wife Oma, their three-year-old son Yash and their two-month-old child were found unresponsive on a bed.

The police registered an Accidental Death Report and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

According to the police, Mehra had four siblings and had been estranged from them over monetary and property-related issues. He had reportedly been depressed for around a year and had kept away from neighbours and relatives.

“We suspect that he had monetary and property-related issues with his siblings and was depressed for about a year. His neighbours stated that he largely remained silent and never interacted with them. When his two-month-old child was born, no family member came for the visit,” a police officer said.

Mehra’s brother Brijbal told police that the two did not share a good relationship and had rarely spoken in recent months. He said Mehra was in touch with their parents, but the brothers had not spoken to each other for about five months.

Brijlal Mehra (extreme left), brother of Puranmal Shambhulal Mehra, an Indian Navy sailor who was found dead last night, waits at the Postmortem Centre to collect the deadbodies, at JJ Hospital in Mumbai on 16 August 2026. The sailor along with his wife and two children were found dead last night.

Police said Mehra had suffered seizures and was taking medication for depression and seizures. He had taken the 15-day parental leave in June following the birth of his second child but did not return to work after the leave, officials said.

The condition of the bodies has led police to suspect that Oma and the children may have died before Mehra. When the police reached the house, the bodies of the wife and children had already started decomposing, while there were no visible signs of decomposition on Mehra’s body.

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“This difference in the condition of the bodies suggests that the wife and children had died earlier, and Mehra survived for some time after their deaths. We are investigating the exact sequence of events and the circumstances leading to their deaths. The post-mortem examinations and forensic findings will help establish the precise time and cause of death,” police said.

Investigators also suspect that Mehra deleted call records, chats and other personal information from his and his wife’s phones before his death. No poisonous substance was found at the house, police said.

The electronic devices have been sent for forensic examination.

The police are yet to record the statement of Oma’s family. They said they had contacted her father over the phone, but he was not in a position to speak following the deaths.

“We tried talking to Oma’s father on the phone but he was not in a position to talk due to the sudden demise. We are yet to determine why he came here to pick his daughter. We are investigating the matter,” the officer said.